Music from the Box
by hope-against-faith
Summary: When two sisters accompany their Grandpa to france they could never have imagined they would get a first hand experience of what most people only read about in history books.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, this is the first chapter of my new Band of Brothers story. Hope you all enjoy. I know its a bit slow to start so hopefully you can bear with me! Let me now what you think.

As always the characters don't belong to me, and I in no way mean any disrespect to the man who fought, i am using the TV characterisations not the actual people.

Normandy 2003

Stephanie walked quietly along the beach of Normandy, the sea was gently lapping at the golden sands of the beach. Wind pulled loose strands of her dark hair around her shoulders and across her face. Her arm was looped through the still strong arm of her Grandpa. His back was ram rod straight as he walked alongside her, his face composed, with his collar turned up against the wind. They reached the edge of the sand, where water was just missing the edge of her black boots. Her grandpa stood staring out across the dark waters of the north sea as Stephanie let her head fall to the side and rest on his shoulder. They stood in silence for what seemed to be eternity before she quietly asked "gramps? You ready to go back?" Her grandpa looked down at her, and she was shocked to see the watery sheen of tears covering his shining blue eyes. Stephanie laid her other hand on his arm "gramps?" she asked softly.

He nodded quickly "I'm ready sweetheart"

Stephanie nodded taking his answer at face value and they turned and walked away from the edge back up to the verge of the beach where her car was parked. Her older sister Marian was stood there with her arms crossed over her black wool coat. As they reached her, Marian held her hand out to their grandpa helping him up over the lip of the beach. He smiled at her gently squeezing her shoulder "thanks darling" he then went quietly by himself back to the car and slid into the back seat. Marian turned to looked at her little sister. Stephanie's cheeks were flushed red from the wind and her long dark hair was knotted from the wind. She was now hugging her arms round herself to try and keep warm in the bitter north wind and there were tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. "Stephie?"

"he was nearly crying Marian" she said turning away from the car so her grandpa wouldn't see her own tears. "he stood there with tears in his eyes at memories we can't possible comprehend"

Marian put her arm round her sister squeezing affectionately "he'll be ok Stephie"

Stephanie wiped her arms quickly with the sleeve of her own coat. "I know that" she said stiffly "I just wish we could make it better for him"

Marian sighed "I want that to, but we can't take the memories of this place away from him"

"maybe we should save the grave yard for another day" Stephanie said looking up at Marian once again "I don't know if its such a good idea to take him today"

Marian shook her head "he has to do this Stephie" Stephanie looked like she was going to protest so Marian just held her hand up shaking her head again "stephie, he wants to do this and who are we to tell him he can't"

Stephanie finally nodded cracking a small smile "fine, but I want it noted that this is not my idea"

Marian smiled back at her sister "consider it noted" she removed her arm from her sister and stuck her hands in her pockets "now, come on lets get moving, its freezing out here" The girls quickly moved back over to the car and managed to smile at each other once more before getting into the front seats. "ready to go gramps?" Marian asked smiling at him in the mirror. Ralph Harris nodded looking at both of his not inconsiderable beautiful granddaughters. Marian the elder was tall and elegant with a cascade of brunette curls and sparkling blue eyes. At 22 she had graduated top of her university class in European history and politics. Stephanie the younger was 20 and a living and breathing version of her grandma his late wife at that age. The same incredibly pale skin making the blackness of her long black hair and eyes all the more shocking. She was currently studying some sort of science that boggled Ralph's aging mind. Looking at the two of them together his heart swelled in pride and suddenly the idea of what else he must do today didn't seem as awful as before. Looking at his future in these two girls he was once again proud of his past.

Realising they were still waiting for him to answer he nodded "yes, I'm ready"

Marian smiled at him and Stephanie reached back and gripped his hand briefly squeezing. "lets get this show on the road then shall we"

It didn't take long for Marian to drive them from the beach to Hermanville war cemetery. What did surprise the girls was when they all got out of the car their Grandpa turned to them and shook his head when they tried to follow him. "I need to do this alone"

"Gramps, you don't, that's why we're here" Stephanie said. Their grandpa simply shook his head though "no girls, I have to do this"

Stephanie looked desperately at Marian who simply shrugged. There was nothing she could do, if their Grandpa wanted to do this alone they would have to respect that. Sensing defeat Stephanie sighed and went to sit on the hood of the car. "we'll wait right here gramps" Marian said, dragging a smile from her Grandfather as she to turned and went to sit next to her sister.

Stephanie was sulking Marian thought with a small laugh to herself. Her sisters face was gloomy and her lower lip was almost sticking out like it had when she had been a child and not gotten her own way. "He'll be ok Stephie" Marian said as she sat down.

"I know that" Stephanie complained.

"then what's the face for" Marian teased "you've got the same look on your face as you had when Mum told you it wouldn't be very nice to try and microwave Alison Steven's cat"

Stephanie shuddered at that memory "that cat was evil Marian, I swear it waited for me everyday after school just to try and get me"

Marian laughed and lightly bumped her shoulder to her sisters. Who turned and finally gave her a small smile. Stephanie then returned to looking at the retreating figure of their Grandpa. He was moving silently through the graves, occasionally stopping to touch the stone his lips moving as he talked to what were obviously men he had known. "You know I used to love listening to Gramp's stories about the war" she said suddenly making Marian frown but Stephanie continued "it never really hit me that it was real. That the people he talked about really did bleed and die for their country. It's kind of hard to not believe though when confronted with this" she waved her arm to encompass the mass amount of graves confirming what she was saying.

"we both loved those stories Stephie, and we were kids how were we meant to know"

Stephanie shrugged "it's not stories though is it Mari. Not anymore anyhow"

"No its not" Marian answered. Both girls fell silent once again after that simply watching their grandpa move around the silent white stones, filled with unspoken memories.

The small family group got back to the bed and breakfast they were staying in late that afternoon. Their grandpa pleaded tiredness and quickly excused himself to go and rest after hugs from both of his granddaughters. With their grandpa resting the two sisters decided it seemed only fair to go and explore the small town they were staying in, so pulling their scarves and gloves back on they waved goodbye to the land lady and headed back into town, on foot this time.

"It's a beautiful place France" Marian said as they entered the main square of the town. Stephanie nodded and blew on her hands "cold as well. Jesus I thought France was meant to be warmer than England"

Marian laughed at her sisters grumbles and simply pulled her further into the town. Spotting an antique shop amongst the store fronts she pointed excitedly "oh come on Stephie lets have a look"

Stephanie groaned "do we have to Mari. I know what your like. Once your in a place like that its hell trying to get you out again"

"Fifteen minutes. I promise that's all I'll take" Marian wheedled pulling on her sisters arm "come on stephie, pleeasse"

"oh alright" Stephanie relented letting herself be pulled in the direction of the shop "at least it will be warm inside" she muttered as Marian laughed opening the door of the shop and stepping inside. Marian soon lost herself in the place which was piled floor to ceiling with bits of what Stephanie would only call junk. Marian seemed happy though so she found a sturdyish looking chair in one corner and plonked herself down to wait for her sister.

Of course Marians promise of fifteen minutes soon turned into thirty and then even longer as she started to argue and debate something with the owner in fluent French that left Stephanie with nothing but a headache and a tiredness that was approaching exhaustion. "Mari" she said trying to catch her sisters attention "Marian" she tried again, eventually her sister turned round "Mari, you've been in here for hours can we please get going"

Marian looked shocked as she glanced at her watch "God I didn't realise I had taken that long" she muttered putting down the latest piece she had been staring at. She said something to the pained looking owner and turned to leave. Stephanie smiled at the owner as well who just looked happy to be getting rid of the all knowledgeable English girl who had made the end of her afternoon hell.

"What were you talking about to make her look so affronted?" Stephanie asked once they had gotten outside walking back towards their B&B. "Oh just the local history round here"

"and that got her so upset" Marian flushed and Stephanie was pretty sure it wasn't from the battering wind. "Marian what did you say?" she asked.

"Oh nothing much" Marian said attempting to evade the question.

Stephanie however was much to skilled at reading her sister after knowing her all her life, she was also very good at getting her to talk. "You would have thought that since she was from here she'd know more than you"

Marian instantly tutted to herself crossing her arms over her chest "Yes, you would have thought so wouldn't you, but no. I still had to educate her over the battle that happened just on the beach down there"

"really you had to educate her?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes" Marian cried "as if she believed that the Americans took sword beach it was of course the British" seeing her sisters blank look Marian explained "sword beach was one of the sections that the British were allocated to take during D-Day"

"oh, and this woman thought it was the Americans?"

"yes, how idiotic is that?" Marian demanded.

Stephanie smiled and agreed with her sister that it was completely out of line that anyone should give the Americans credit for something they hadn't done. Which then got Marian started on the fact that Americans did have a lot to be worthy of credit. After all she reasoned they had done a lot for the war effort and without them she doubted that Britain would have been able to hold out against the force of the Nazis. Stephanie just nodded and went along with it all. Marian didn't notice her sister wasn't answering though just continued talking about the war and D day until they reached the B&B once again.

The rest of the evening passed with nothing much out of the ordinary. The girls grandpa had risen again and after dinner they spent much of the evening getting him to tell them his stories once again. Which although he complained about both girls knew he was secretly pleased that they still wanted to listened to him. Ralph retired back to his room at just past 10:30pm with a kiss to both his girls and promises to accompany them on the tour of the next town over tomorrow and also promises to show them more places that he had visited. Which pleased Marian no end.

After that the girls stayed up talking for another hour or so before going to their own room. It was a small B&B and they were sharing a twin bedded room much like they used to when they were younger. So after giggling and joking there way through their evening bathing they fell into bed with smiles still on their faces.

"Hey Mari?" Stephanie asked as they lay in bed the light just gone off.

"Yeah Stephie" Marian asked softly.

"You remember that summer we went to stay with gramps and gran when I had broken my arm"

"yeah, you fell out of a tree again. What about it?"

"Do you remember gramps told us the story that night about the Yankee soldiers he'd met that one time" Stephanie paused "the ones who had that TV series made about them"

"E Company" Marian replied "yeah I remember the story. Why?"

"Do you reckon that guy he was talking to ever managed to find a luger?"

Even in the dark Marian turned to the dark shape of her sister in the bed opposite her frowning in confusion "what?"

"you know" Stephanie yawned "that man gramps talked to he was trying to find a Luger, do you reckon he ever got one?"

"I don't know" Marian said. "why do you want to know?"

"I don't" Stephanie said "I just wondered" she was quiet for a few more minutes before saying "night Marian"

Marian smiled to herself before saying "night stephie"

The talk between the two girls stopped then but Marian couldn't get the question out of her head. Why would Stephanie remember that strange part of the story their gramps told them. Marian tossed and turned for a good while before finally falling asleep dreaming of E Company and the man searching for a luger.

Stephanie woke first the next morning, stretching her limbs out when she climbed out of the old single bed. She hadn't slept in a single bed since she was a child and it had taken a lot of tensing to make sure she hadn't rolled out during the night. Checking the clock she realised it was still early and went to jump in the shower.

When she got back Marian was sat up on her bed fastening the laces of her boots. "You going somewhere Mari?"

Marian looked up smiling at her sister. "Just quickly going into town, there was a music box in that antique shop that I want to look at again. Do you want to come?"

"to the antique shop?" Stephanie scoffed "as if Mari, once was quite enough for me"

Marian smiled "you can get fresh croissants from the bakery"

Stephanie looked up suddenly interested "really"

Marian nodded "I saw the advert in the window yesterday as we were walking"

"what about gramps"

Marian glanced at the clock "he won't be awake for a while yet, and we can leave a note downstairs to say were we've gone and that we won't be very long"

Stephanie seemed to debate the fact with herself for a few moments before nodded "fine alright, the croissants have won me over. But you get 10 minutes in that shop and I will be counting"

"deal" Marian agreed. Both girls grabbed their coats and scarves once again and Marian scribbled a note for their grandpa just in case he woke up then they set off into the town. They split up in the centre, Stephanie going towards the bakery and Marian to the antique shop.

The door rang as Marian went through it, much like it had yesterday. Only this time an older man sat behind the small counter at the front, he smiled briefly at Marian then went back to his newspaper. Marian spent a few minutes just gaping at the mounds of treasure before gathering herself together and heading for the back of the shop she found the little music box she had found the day before. She was guessing that it was an early 40's design with engravings in the walnut box, that once opened played softly lilting waltz music as a couple spun around a small platform. It was quite charming and Marian was more than a little taken with it. Making her mind up she carried it back to the front of the shop. "How much Monsieur?"

The old man looked up at smile as he saw the box "a nice find mademoiselle. For you €10"

Seen as the music still played and everything seemed to be working with the box Marian nodded and digging through her bag found her purse to pay the man with. He smiled and carefully wrapped it up placing it in a small brown bag. Saying goodbye Marian hurried out of the shop where Stephanie was already leaning against the window digging in to a steaming hot croissant. She smiled at Marian "find it?" she asked. Marian nodded and held her hand out for a croissant. Stephanie obligingly handed one over for her sister and stared curiously at the brown paper bag Marian was carrying. "Lets see then" she prodded.

Marian nodded and both girls went to sit on a bench in one corner of the main square. Marian wiped her buttery fingers on the serviette Stephanie handed her then carefully untied the paper around the music box handing it over to her sister. Stephanie looked carefully at the outside tracing her finger along the engravings on the top. "Is it real wood?"

Marian nodded "Walnut I think, although its been stained at least once before"

"does it open?" Stephanie said already lifting the lid before Marian could answer. It happened so quickly that both girls couldn't be sure if it was real but as Stephanie opened the box instant screaming could be heard. Sounds of gun fire and the sudden blast of what could only be bombs echoed in their ears. Stephanie slammed the lid shut and both girls looked up at each other in shock. "did that just…"

Marian nodded slightly pale "yeah, I mean I heard…"

"screams" Stephanie finished. "how did we hear screams" she asked looking round the still perfectly quiet and serene town square. "I don't know" Marian answered taking the box from Stephanie's hands. She carefully lifted the lid of the box. Nothing happened the only noise came from the sweet tones of the waltz music. "maybe we imagined it?" she reasoned.  
>Stephanie frowned "we both imagined the same thing" she shook her head "I don't think so. Here give me the box"<p>

Marian passed it back over and Stephanie carefully opened the lid once again a loud buzzing started building inside Marian's ears and the blue sky and stone walls of the small town started to fade. It was then that the spinning started Marian closed her eyes in desperation. She could hear screaming again. Screams that sounded like nothing she had ever heard before they ripped through her leaving her shaking and trying to clutch at her ears to block them out. Flashes of people and places she didn't recognize reached her even though her eyes were closed, until finally not able to stand it any longer Marian moved, as if her movement where the key she slammed down onto solid earth. The screaming stopped and everything went quiet.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the amazing feedback for the previous chapter. I know there were questions as to who the girls were going to fall for, i'm not trying to be difficult by not telling you in the summary bit, its more that at this point i'm honestly not sure who i want to write romances for. Any suggestions?

Enjoy this next chapter

Carentan 1944

"Jesus Christ would ya look at that"

It was the sound of voices that finally roused her. Marian's eyes flickered open, trying to avoid the bright sunlight from above. The voices continued on in what even Marian knew were thick American accents.

"How'd two broads end up right out here?" one asked

"Geezus Perconte how'd the hell do you think I'd know" the first snapped back. "maybe they dropped from the sky like us"

Ignoring his sarcasm the first man said "Hey Bill, look ones waking up"

Marian raised one hand up to her forehead and wincing tried to sit up the world spun though and groaning she wobbled backwards "easy there sweetheart" the one called Bill said recognising his voice as he bent down and with two hands on her shoulders helped her to sit. Marian finally managed to get her eyes to focus and found herself staring at a brown hair man, with concern and curiosity in his eyes. He was also wearing an amazingly accurate replicated World War 2 uniform, complete with a M1 rifle slung over his shoulder and screaming eagle patch on his arm.

"my sister" Marian mumbled turning her head to try and find Stephanie. She was laid on her back still unconscious a few feet away where a smaller man obviously Perconte stood also in full uniform. What was going on here.

"She's over there" Bill said indicating Stephanie's prone figure "now just what do you girls think your doing out here on ya own"

"what?" Marian asked her stomach still churning as she finally focused on the wider world around here. "I don't understand" she muttered "we were in town, then the screaming started and it went dark. Who are you?"

"Sergeant Bill Guarnere and over there's Frank Perconte"

Marian's eyes widened slightly as those names hit her solidly in the stomach. That wasn't possible she thought to herself. "You mean your actors?" she ventured.

Sergeant Guarnere looked at her like she was crazy. Which she was starting to feel like she was. "Whaddya mean actors?"

Marian shook her head pulling away from the man who still for some reason had his hands on her shoulders. "you can't actually be 'wild' Bill Guarnere, from E Company they aren't having a reunion here, and hell you'd be 80 odd years old by now anyway"

"how'd ya know bout E Company? Who are you two broads?" Bill asked suspicious now of the young women. Marian chocked out a strangled laugh. "Broads, he's calling me a broad, no one says that anymore"

"Geezus Bill she's fuckin nuts" Perconte piped up. "Lets just get back to town"

"What, you wanna leave two defenceless girls out here" Bill snapped back getting up to his feet as he stared down at a still rambling Marian. "they come with us" he finally decided "get that other one up Perconte"

Perconte sighed but obligingly shoved his rifle further over his shoulder before hauling the other girl up into his arms. While Bill pulled the awake one to her feet. She turned wild eyes onto the supposed Sergeant Guarnere. "What year is this?" she demanded. Grabbing his arm tight and digging in her nails "what year is it?" she shouted once again shaking his arm.

"Geez girly relax would ya, it's 1944" he answered, disbelief in his tone that anyone couldn't know that, the woman went remarkably pale, her eyes rolling back into her head and she went falling backwards in a dead faint. Bill cursed loudly and managed to grab her before she hurt herself to bad, she still gave herself a pretty good knock on the head though. He yanked her up into his arms turning to Perconte who just shrugged "hey you wanted to bring um" he said before walking off carrying the other girl. Bill stared down at the face of the one who had fainted. Before sighing and following Perconte back towards camp.

oooooooooooooo

Marian woke slowly once again to find herself in what looked to be a small tent. She was laid on a camp bed and opposite her Stephanie was sat on the floor staring hard at her. "Jesus I had this really weird dream" Marian started.

Stephanie smirked at her sister "really would that be the one where you were in 1944 France along with every American soldier called up, with a lot of Nazi Germans trying to kill you"

"What" Marian stuttered looking frantically at Stephanie "how could you possible know that?"

Stephanie smiled "watch" she said simply before turning to the flap of the tent shouting loudly "Oh Sergeant Toye"

Marian was certain her sister was nuts until a grumpy looking man came storming into the tent. He was tall and broad, with short dark hair and chocolate eyes that were currently shooting sparks of annoyance at her sister. "You hollered Miss Harris" he said sarcastically. Stephanie just smiled up at him all innocence "Well Sergeant Toye my sister is awake again, finally. So you may inform this Lieutenant Winters that you mentioned we shall now speak to him"

Sergeant Toye stared angrily down at Stephanie for a few minutes, with her just smiling sweetly up at him before finally spinning on his heel and storming off. The girls could hear him muttering to himself under his breath about the general inconvenience of women in general and how he wasn't a damn servant to carry about their messages but a soldier there to blow up the damn jerries.

"Steph what the hell is going on?" Marian asked once Sergeant Toye's voice couldn't be heard anymore.

Stephanie shrugged "apparently we're in 1944, slap bang in the middle of the invasion of France"

Marian shook her head "that's impossible, this is all impossible"

"that's what I thought as well when I woke up"

Marian could sense a but working its way through her sisters mind. "and?" she asked

"well then the bombs dropped" Stephanie said reasonably, "after that escapade I was pretty convinced that I was where everyone was telling me I was"

"everyone?" Marian questioned again then sharper "bombs?"

Stephanie nodded getting up she came and sat next to her sister on the small camp bed. "Marian what do you remember exactly?"

Marian thought about it for a minute before a horrible memory of someone calling himself Bill Guarnere came back to her and then the even worse idea that she may have fainted. "I remember you opening that music box again and then the screaming. When I woke up I met two soldiers they told me they were Bill Guarnere and Frank Perconte and that I was in…1944. Then I think I must have passed out"

Stephanie nodded "you did pass out, hit your head pretty bad as well as you've been out for a while." Stephanie crossed her legs under her and took Marian's hand. "the bombs started about 2 maybe 3 hours ago, they only lasted a few minutes but it was enough to make the ground rock and me to seriously reconsider a lot of the scientific theories of the 20th century about time travel"

Marian smiled at her sisters thin attempt at humour "so those soldiers they really were who they said?"

"yep, you met old wild bill himself"

"you know that name?" Marian said, momentarily shocked out of her disbelief by the fact that her sister knew anything about the history of this area and the men who fought here, were fighting here she corrected herself. Stephanie smiled "I watched the TV show just like everyone else Mari"

The girls didn't get to say anything else as Sergeant Toye reappeared again a scowl still on his face. Stephanie however seemed delighted and Marian got a sinking feeling that her sister had done something else while she had been unconscious. Something regarding this soldier and his now determinacy at not looking at Stephanie in the eyes. "So Sergeant Toye are we to be seen?"

"Yes" he said simply "I'll take you to Lieutenant Winters"

"great" Stephanie said jumping up to her feet and pulling Marian up along with her. "lead the way then Sergeant Toye"

"could you at least try and be…" Sergeant Toye waved vaguely at the girls obviously unsure at how to describe their appearance "less visible" was what he settled on.

"sure" Marian said gathering up her hair and stuffing it inside her coat, she turned up the collar and wrapped her scarf further up over her face. Stephanie however just stood there. "Steph" Marian prodded "give the poor guy a break"

Stephanie smirked happily for a few more moments before she to gave in, gathering up her hair she also pushed it down her jacket. There was no collar on the black leather though so it was really all she could do. "come on then Sergeant lets get moving"

Sergeant Toye looked like he wanted to say something else but decided against it and simply nodded holding the flap of the tent open for the two girls. Marian wanted to instantly run back inside when she saw what was on the outside. The large group of men who were laying around on the floor in what looked to be the broken remains of a once great town, instantly turned to stare at the emerging two girls. Their mouths dropping open in shock.

So it was true Marian thought hopelessly to herself. Either she was still dreaming or her and Stephanie really were in 1944. There was no way that any town in France looked like this, and the guns all of the men were carrying looked very real. Marian must have looked truly scared as Stephanie gently linked her fingers with her sisters giving them a reassuring squeeze. Marian forced a small to her face to flash at her sister. Mentally scolding herself, she was the elder sister she was the one who needed to be strong for Stephanie. After all she was the organised one, the steady and responsible sister. Stephanie was the impulsive one, who flew around in a mess and was never reliable on for anything other than a good time and lots of laughs.

Sergeant Toye led the two girls through the wrecked town until they reached the obviously only building left standing in the town. For which he once again held the door open for them motioning them through. Stephanie sent another cheeky smile his way before following Marian through the door.

She had met Lieutenant Winters once before when her sister was still laying prone and unconscious on her camp bed. It had been a brief meeting where Stephanie had refused to tell him anything other than her name. She had kept her mouth most firmly shut when he had asked why two British women were running around the French countryside in the middle of the war. She had not answered when he inquired into the strange clothing she was wearing and she most definitely hadn't answered him when looking through their bags he found the drivers licenses and identification they had brought to France with them, all giving their birth dates and years as something 59 years in the future. He had left none the wiser as to who they women were and what they were doing where his men had found them. Instead he found himself in possession of two British women who were know in effect prisoners of the American army, or more precisely prisoners of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. E Company and as of know his problem


	3. Chapter 3

I'm amazed by the amount of feedback for this story, especially on the who to get the girls with point! I think at this point i've decided to try and get Stephanie and Toye together, Marian however i'm still not sure.  
>I also want to point out this story is just fiction and therefore some of the facts of the war have been manipulate to fit my story. I mean no disrespect by doing this, and I hope to make a lot of the story as true as possible.<p>

Feedback is always listened to and thanks to everyone who's commented so far :)

000000000000000

The good lieutenant had been kind enough to find a chair for the girls, however the problem being he had only managed to find one chair so Stephanie had pushed Marian into it insisting that she was the one who had major head trauma and needed to sit more than she did, plus Marian still looked pale enough to rival the dead. Then she had turned to smile at the Lieutenant who just looked fairly shocked at the sight of both of them. An expression Stephanie doubted he had lost since he had gotten a good look at the drivers licenses from before. "So Lieutenant Winters, my sisters awake and I'm now in a much better mood to answer your questions"

"Alright" the Lieutenant agreed staring at both girls "I think the best question at the moment is who are you? And why were you both laying unconscious not even a mile away from Carentan?"

Stephanie smiled pleasantly, "that's easy" she said "I'm Stephanie Harris this is my older sister Marian. We're from England and were taking our grandpa on holiday in France when Marian here found an antique shop and a damn music box. That's how we got here by the way, a time travelling music box which somehow seems to have stopped working now we're actually here"

The Lieutenant frowned and Marian elbowed Stephanie as well as she could from her sitting position. "What my sister means Lieutenant is…"

She didn't get to finish though as another man came barging through the door of the only room in Carentan. He was tall and broad, with stubble that didn't fit his Lieutenants uniform, even from were they were stood as well Stephanie could smell the whisky coming off of him. It was a distinctive smell that she was used to smelling coming from someone's clothing and breath. He looked curiously at the two girls "So Dick these are the two pretty little things you were talking about earlier"

"Dick?" Stephanie asked smirking evilly at Lieutenant Winters.

"Yes that's Richard Winters" the new man said helpfully when the Lieutenant didn't answer "I'm Lewis Nixon and…. what's wrong with your sister?"

Stephanie looked down to find that Marian had gone very pale once again and was staring at the two men in front of them with a mixture of shock and horror. "Mari?" she asked, concerned. "Mari?" she tried again when her sister still didn't answer.

"I can't do this" Marian squeaked before getting up and running from the room.

"MARI" Stephanie shouted trying to go after her sister, Lieutenant Nixon stopped her though wrapping one strong arm round her waist and hauling her to his side then keeping her there with one hand clamped to her wrist. Lieutenant Winters ran to the door and Stephanie could hear him shouting to Sergeant Guarnere to go after her sister then he reappeared. Angry this time he motioned to the chair and Nixon pushed Stephanie into it "Who are you?" he demanded again.

"I already told you" Stephanie snarled "My name is Stephanie Harris. I'm a 20 year old student from England and that's my sister Marian Harris, also English and a 22 year old history major….oh my god" Stephanie's light bulb moment hit hard and made her fall silent instantly. Marian was a history major and not just any history but modern European with a minor in politics and foreign languages. She had studied the war in detail both this one and the first. She must know what was happening here and these men in front of her now would feel familiar to her. Even Stephanie knew they were in the TV series from HBO. She knew that Lieutenant Winters rose to a Major and was a war hero in America and she knew that at this moment Lieutenant Nixon was a raging alcoholic with a soon to be falling apart marriage. So if she knew that what Marian must know about them would be enough to send even the most rational person off the deep end. She probably knew what happened to every man now sat out there in the rubble of Carentan. She knew what happened in every battle from now till the end of the war. Knew which man would die, which man would be wounded and disabled for life. How much would that knowledge cost her if they couldn't manage to get that music box to work again.

"Miss Harris?"

The shout of Lieutenant Winters finally got Stephanie's attention once again and she looked up into his face, for the first time since she had gotten into this room she was scared and the emotion must have shown on her own face as the Lieutenants face softened slightly. He seemed to be deciding whether he needed to say something comforting but before he could Lieutenant Nixon spoke up "are these real?"

Stephanie looked round to find him holding up her purse, more specifically her driving license that clearly listed her date of birth as the 25th December 1982. Sighing she nodded "yes they're real"

"How is this possible?" Nixon asked, to no one in particular.

Stephanie shrugged getting up she went to get her bag from the Lieutenant "I don't know" she said putting her hand out, Nixon hesitated slightly before giving her the bag, Stephanie rooted around in it for a few minutes before pulling out her mobile phone. A new Nokia 6100. She then handed it over to Nixon "what is this?" he asked her.

Stephanie smiled "It's a phone" she answered carefully, Nixon didn't look very convinced and neither did Winters who had walked over to look at the mobile as well. "this is not a phone" he stated.

Stephanie nodded "it is, well I suppose I should say it will be"

"and your.." Nixon waved at her clothes "they are also what will be?"

"you mean my jeans, yeah there what will be"

"I like them" Nixon said trying for serious but failing making Stephanie laugh as she went back to the chair and slumped down crossing her arms over her chest. "my sister, Marian I think I know what's wrong with her"

Lieutenant Winters looked up curiously and leaving Nixon to play with the mobile he came back to Stephanie and leaning on the wall next to her nodded for her to continue "Marian, she's a history major I told you that already, but where we come from when this is all just memories, this is what she studied"

"your sister studied us?" Winters asked

Stephanie nodded "in a manner of speaking. She studied this whole war from beginning to end" Winters didn't answer "do you understand what I'm telling you?" she asked.

It was Nixon who answered "if we are to believe you about where you come from then what your saying is your sister knows the outcome of every battle we are about to fight, and probably the outcomes of a lot of our lives"

Stephanie nodded then looked back up at Lieutenant Winters who didn't seem to be willing to say anything else yet. "so I suppose it all comes down to whether or not you believe me" she said.

"what about you?" Winters suddenly asked "what do you know about this war"

Stephanie shrugged "not much, I disliked history at school and only learnt what I had to to pass my exams and then what I've seen on TV"

"They make TV programs about this war?" Nixon asked suddenly smiling for some reason.

Stephanie nodded "yeah they do. Hell you guys get an entire series to yourselves. It was really good."

"Hear that Dick, we're on TV" Nixon said. If anything Stephanie thought Nixon didn't seem to be just scoffing at everything she had told him, but then again that may be just because he was drunk again.

"Someone needs to tell Colonel Sink about this" Lieutenant Winters said, rubbing a hand over his face. "Lew, you fancy a trip to HQ"

"Me?" Nixon asked shocked "you really think he's going to believe anything I tell him. Especially about time travelling girls with all powerful knowledge about his grand campaign"

"Nixon please"

"fine, but don't say I didn't warn you" Nixon put the mobile back in Stephanie's bag then came over and held out his hand, Stephanie took it almost smiling as he raised it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "it was a pleasure Miss Harris"

"under the present circumstances Lieutenant Nixon I would have to agree"

"please call me Lew" he threw a disgruntled look at Lieutenant Winters "everyone else seems to"

"alright Lew" Stephanie answered him "I suppose the courtesy should extend both ways, just call me Steph, everyone else does"

"as you wish" he said smiling as he released her hand waved at Lieutenant Winters and headed back into the rubble that was Carentan. Stephanie meanwhile looked up at Lieutenant Winters. "what are you going to do with us?" she asked, suddenly realising that no one had mentioned what they were planning on doing with her and her sister.

"that Miss Harris is a very good question"

"We can't stay here" Stephanie reasoned "there's a war happening after all"

Lieutenant Winters sighed "yes I am aware of that" he said, taking off his helmet to scratch his head and stare at her hard "I'm also aware of the fact that the knowledge your sister has might just win this war for us"

"if she'll tell you" Stephanie fired back "and I wouldn't be to sure about that"

"why wouldn't she help her country win. She could save a lot of lives"

"time travel 101 buddy" Stephanie said standing up and poking Lieutenant Winter's in the chest "don't meddle with stuff you don't understand, and this we definitely don't understand. Hell what would happen if she told you something and it changed the outcome of something meant to happen, it may lead to men dying who shouldn't have, she might change history for the worse by trying to help you because her telling you has changed something that should have happened. Does that make sense? I don't think that made sense"

"I suppose it does" Lieutenant Winters said. "even so until Colonel Sink says otherwise you'll be staying with us. I'll have someone find you some OD's and kit you up so you don't stand out so much. Corporal Toye and Guarnere will take charge of you and I'll send Doc Roe over to make sure your both ok"

"what are you talking about Lieutenant. Surely you don't want us to fight in this thing"

Lieutenant Winters just stared hard at her "welcome to the untied states paratroopers Miss Harris"

"But I'm English"

000000000000000

Marian hadn't thought about what she was doing when she fled from that room, only that it was to much and her stomach was in knots from the whole situation. She was surrounded by history, living breathing history. Something that should only be distant memories to someone as young as her. She could hear footsteps pounding behind her and before she could get very far hands latched onto her shoulders and yanked her to a stop. Angry voices shouting at her, demanding to know just what was she thinking running off into the middle of a war zone. The problem seemed to be though that for the first time in her life Marian's brain wasn't thinking. It wasn't working in anything like it's normal rational groove. In fact if she was thinking rationally she would probably say she was in shock, and that that in itself was perfectly rational considering what had happened to her in the past few hours.

"Oi sweetheart I'm talking to you"

Marian managed to focus on that voice again, for some reason she latched onto it once again and found Bill Guarnere's face. "Bill" she managed to say "your Bill Guarnere"

"yeah that's right" he answered "now come on girly, come sit" he gave her a push in the bottom of her back and led her to a portion of wall that wasn't entirely blown to pieces pushing her down onto it. "your Wild Bill Guarnere" she repeated again.  
>Bill nodded patiently at her "so you keep saying" he said crouching down next to her "never said how you know that though"<p>

"how I know what?" Marian asked absently her eyes rapidly searching out the town of Carentan for anything that might wake her up from this nightmare. Something must be wrong, enough to prove to her that she was dreaming and shock her into waking up. Strong fingers suddenly gripped her chin and dragged her face down to look into his own eyes. "how do you know my name girly"

"your name" Marian repeated "I know your name because I read about you"

"you read about me?" he asked, shocked this time "there ain't no books about me"

"not yet there isn't" Marian answered, seemingly finding herself centred by his eyes. "there will be though, when this war is finished and historians look back at the men who fought here. Then your name William Guarnere will be associated with heroes"

"maybe you took a harder knock on the head than I reckoned darling"

Marian shook her head "no, I'm telling the truth" Bill obviously didn't believe her "I know lots of other things as well" Marian insisted.

"like what?" Bill asked.

"I know you and a group of soldiers took a group of guns very recently at Brecourt manor and that your all going to be awarded medals for it. You lost a man, Hall his name was. I know that the guy you called Popeye was wounded in that fight and I know that Corporal Toye over there nearly got blown up twice while attacking the Germans in the trenches. I know when you get back from Normandy this unit will be awarded a presidential citation for the work you did here"

"that's impossible" Bill said standing back up and moving away from the strange girl.

"I know" Marian said miserably "trust me I know that. I shouldn't be here"

"Where should you be?" Bill asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer or not, but unable to stop himself from asking. Marian looked up at him, trying to focus on his face again. To drag the words from her mouth "2003" she whispered.

"What?" Bill asked dropping back down to her level.

"2003" Marian said once again "Me and my sister were on a holiday with our gramps in France and then something happened and suddenly we were here"

"2003!" Bill muttered to himself, verging on shock himself.

"Do you believe me?" Marian asked desperately.

Bill looked down at the young girl, she was no older than him and all dressed up in those strange tight blue trousers, with big wide eyes almost tearing up once again he found himself nodding. He didn't know why either but there was something odd about the girl, even in her manner of speaking that just didn't fit with what a girl should be like now. "god knows why, but yeah darling I believe ya"

Marian beamed at him, and it was like the sun was coming out. Bill almost missed Lieutenant Winters waving him over to busy was he at marvelling at how the smile lightened up her face and changed her entire persona. "come on girly" he said taking her elbow he pulled her back to her feet and motioned to Lieutenant Winters and her sister, who had also come out of the room. She didn't look happy either. "I think someone wants ya"

Marian started to walk back towards the Lieutenant and Stephanie before they got there she stopped "thank you Bill" she said softly.

"for what?"

Marian shrugged "for not thinking I'm crazy"

Bill snorted "girly I think your crazy as they come" but shrugging himself he continued "somehow though that don't change the fact that I believe ya"

"well thank you for that then" Marian insisted.

Bill finally nodded "your welcome"

When they reached the lieutenant, Bill soon discovered the reason for the other sister, Stephanie's long face and was pretty sure his own features mirrored her own displeasure.

"Just keep them both alive Bill, that's all"

"Oh that's all" Bill snorted "keep two broads alive in this chaos"

"Sergeant Guarnere" Lieutenant Winters snapped "this is not a request. Keep them alive, as unnoticed as possible and for gods sake not a word of how you found them or where their from"

"It's true then, what the girl was saying, their really from… the future"

"So it would seem" Lieutenant Winters said.

Bill didn't say anything for a while before just nodding "alright sir"

Lieutenant Winters walked away and Bill turned to look at the two new additions to his platoon. Bloody hell how had the war come to him taking charge of two girls. At least one of which was stir pot crazy. "lets get you two kitted out then. Either of you know how to fire a gun by any chance"

The younger sister Stephanie suddenly smiled evilly "just give me the gun Sergeant and watch the Germans fall"

"she played paintball a lot" Marian tried to explain but Bill just shrugged not understanding a word of what she was saying.

"There's rules" he announced as he led the way to the where the supplies had been dumped.

"how can there be rules to war?" Stephanie demanded.

"Rules" Guarnere snapped "Number 1, you are not to stray more than 10 feet from me or Joe when in action"

"Corporal Toye" Stephanie whispered under her breath to Marian at her blank look.

"Number 2" Bill continued "Under no circumstances do you breath a word about who you are to the guys we'll just tell um your doing some sort of research for the limeys, and most importantly Number 3, you do not get attached romantically to any of the lads. We do not need that kind of problem. Got it?"

Marian nodded while Stephanie snapped sarcastically to attention "yes Sergeant Guarnere sir"

Guarnere just glared at her before pointing at a truck "over there. Get going" the girls went to get kitted out and Guarnere watched in despair as Marian barely managed to pick up the rifle never mind balance it, or point it. Her sister on the other hand picked up the rifle, angling it in her shoulder and quickly loaded and locked it. However either way you looked at it, either sister you looked at, this was going to be hell. How in gods name he was going to keep the two alive he had no idea. Pray he supposed, pray god dammed hard.


	4. Chapter 4

Once again people thank you so much for the positive comments on this story! I'm honestly shocked that you all like it :) I think i am now pretty settled on who's going with who. You might get a little clue from this chapter so i'll leave it up to you all to sort it all out.  
>I did however want to ask you all a favour, i'm not american and your rating system confuses me some what as to what it K what is T and that kind of thing, i have read the descriptions for them all but i'm not a great judge, so if my story ever goes up a rating or what ever could you let me know cheers :) and know on to the good bit...<p>

Carentan 1944 

To Stephanie if felt a lot like she was a riding a tornado that just wouldn't stop and put her down, it continued to buffet her around in a maddening whirl that was making her head spin and her stomach rebel. She looked over at Marian and couldn't help but hope she didn't look as awkward in her OD's as she did. Marian's jacket hung oddly over her thin shoulders and if she wasn't mistaken her sister had managed to do up the buttons of her jacket wrong. Her boots were tied too tight and the trousers had been hiked in so much at the waist to stop them from falling down that she had handfuls of loose material just bunched there. That wasn't the worst though thought Stephanie. No it was the way Marian was staring at the M1 she had been given. Her sister had likely never held a gun before in life and Lieutenant Winters was expecting her to be able to shoot German's. It was beyond idiotic, and going to get both of them killed. Sighing in annoyance Stephanie picked up her own M1 and slung it over her shoulder "Mari?"

Marian turned to look at her, there was a vagueness and absence in her eyes that seriously scared Stephanie. She was seriously doubting that her sister was still all here. "Mari your jacket" she said pointing at the wrong buttons.

"Oh" Marian said looking down at them "how stupid"

Although she said this Marian made no move to straightened the jacket so Stephanie walked forward and gently undid the buttons before straightening them up and pulling the jacket to the side slightly to get it to sit better. "Marian give me the hair tie" Marian obligingly handed over the piece of elastic to Stephanie who pulled her sisters long curls back over her shoulders before quickly braiding the thick locks as tight as possible. Much like she had done with her own before hand. Once finished she snapped the elastic into place and then pushed the braid under Marian's jacket before spinning Marian to face her again "Marian this may be a stupid question, but are you ok?"

Marian shrugged "not really"

Stephanie was going to answer but Sergeant Guarnere shouted to the two girls to hurry the hell up, apparently the Battalion was moving out to cover the high ground on the south west of the city, in case of counter attacks by the Germans. Know however it seemed that they were classed as part of this Battalion. "Come on Mari" Stephanie said linking her fingers with her sisters and pulling her along behind her to meet Sergeant Guarnere and joy of joys Corporal Toye. The rest of the men of the battalion were stood behind the two men she already knew. They all turned to stare at the two women, Marian didn't seem to even notice them and Stephanie's worry shot up another level. For Marian not to notice she was being stared at, something would have to be seriously wrong. Stephanie was getting a horrible feeling that her sister wasn't just in shock anymore but was developing post traumatic stress disorder and she didn't think this move of Lieutenant Winters to shove them in with the fighting men was going to help her sister one bit.

"Lads" Guarnere was saying "these here are the broads I was talking bout, there here to report on the war effort for the Brits, so keep ya eyes and most importantly ya hands to yourselves, understand?"

The men nodded and Lieutenant Winters reappeared and moved the company out. Welcome to the army.

oooooooooooooo

"So there really giving girls weapons now?" a voice asked from somewhere beside her. Stephanie looked round to find a smiling face of one of the men. She shrugged "apparently so"

"do you even know how to use that thing?"

"do you want to find out" Stephanie asked smiling as she made to move her M1.

The man just held his hands up in the universal signal for peace. "George Luz" he then added. Sticking his hand out for her to shake. Stephanie raised one eyebrow but took his hand and shook it. "Stephanie Harris, and that's my sister Marian"

"hey Luz better not let Bill see you playing hanky panky with the broad"

Luz turned and glowered at the man who was shouting "go hang Liebgott, I was being polite"

"yeah I bet" another voice answered as the two men appeared next to George. Stephanie smiled at both of them as they stared openly at her. George sighed and pointed at the two men "Joe Liebgott and Skip Muck"

"Stephanie" she said again.

"So" Liebgott started eyeing up the gun on her shoulder. Stephanie sighed obviously this was going to be a common theme among the men "you know how…"

George snorted "careful Joe, she bites"

"and you'd know how" Stephanie answered back making the other guys laugh.

George looked at her in mock hurt "and I thought we were friends" he said gripping a hand over his heart. Stephanie couldn't help smiling at him, she'd known him all of two minutes and already she knew she could get up to a hell of a lot of trouble with him.

"Who's the other?" Skip asked indicating Marian with the end of his rifle. Stephanie turned and took Marian's hand drawing her sisters attention back to the supposed present. "Marian these are George Luz, Joseph Liebgott and Skip Muck"

Marian stared up at the men for a few moments before looking at Skip "I'm very sorry about your loss" she started "it can't be easy to be in that hole for so long and I'm sure you thought you were going…."

"Alright Marian, thanks" Stephanie hurriedly interrupted she turned to the soldiers in particular Skip who just looked confused she just shrugged and made crazy motions with one hand. The men nodded but still just stared at Marian. Stephanie meanwhile pulled her sister by the hand through the ranks of the men until she reach Lieutenant Winters once more. He looked down in surprise as she drew near to them.

"Lieutenant you can't let my sister on these lines" Stephanie hissed. "she's going to get herself and a lot of your men killed"

Winters stared at the obviously angry young woman who was still dragging her sister along behind her. Winters had seen a lot of soldiers in the brief period of the war and he recognised the look on the older sisters face. She was in shock and nothing but larger shock was going to snap her out of it, that was if she wasn't to far gone to be brought back. "I can't allow her to be off these lines Miss Harris"

"Why not?" Stephanie demanded "do you want to be responsible for getting her killed"

"I won't allow her to be harmed" Winters stated.  
>"oh and how can you promise that to me? Can you somehow stop German bullets with your mind"<p>

Lieutenant Winters just looked down at her "leave her with me. I promise I will take care of her"

"I'm not abandoning my sister Lieutenant"

"Your not abandoning her your protecting her, you say you can use that rifle, but can you use it and look after Marian at the same time" Stephanie didn't answer him just glared hard. "You can't help your sister if your dead Miss Harris. Leave her with me and go back to your platoon. She will be fine"

Stephanie couldn't argue with his logic even if it did stick in her throat. She had no choice but to squeeze Marian's hand hard and threatened her with all kind of horrible things if she didn't snap out of this and back to her normal self. Before she trudged back down the line to the platoon she was assigned to. George Luz reappeared by her side again. "Your sister, she ain't quite right is she?"

Stephanie shook her head "you have no idea, Luz" they halted the march soon after and Stephanie rapidly found herself digging holes in the ditches and crouching down in one as bullets flew over her head. If she had to guess she would say the German's were no more than one field over from them and suddenly the gun she was holding seemed very real. All of a sudden the knowledge that she could and probably would die here slammed into her. She sunk down into the hole like many of the American soldiers and sat clinging to her rifle waiting to be told what to do. She hadn't be sat long when a man slid into the hole beside her, Stephanie turned and smirked inwardly to herself when she saw Corporal Joe Toye sitting beside her. He did not look happy as he turned to look at her "Miss Harris"

"Corporal Toye" Stephanie answered back "did you want something Corporal?"

Joe scowled at her "I have been told that you are my responsibility for tonight"

"really, how interesting" Stephanie said finally letting her smile show on her face, "tell me Corporal how is your…. wound healing"

Corporal Toye's gaze turned feral as his eyes burnt into her own. "Miss Harris we agreed not to mention that again"

Stephanie shrugged "I was just showing concern" when Corporal Toye didn't answer her she decided to see just how far she could push him "after all what did you expect a lady to do, when she woke up to see a strange man leaning over her. It was natural instinct to aim for his… weak point"

"Miss Harris" Joe hissed "Do you think it is remotely possible for me to complete my responsibilities for tonight in silence"

Stephanie pretended to think about it for a few moments before shaking her head "nope I don't think so" Stephanie was sure she heard him sigh but he didn't say anything else so she continued "so I guess seen as were stuck with each other you had better stop calling me Miss Harris. You do know my names Steph right?"

Joe nodded once "I knew that"

"So your Joseph I presume?"

"Joe"

"Well Joe I really am sor…" she stopped when Joe suddenly lunged towards her covering her mouth with his hand, his eyes warning as he moved his hand away to get hold of his M1, now she was quiet Stephanie could her it as well, the German voices were getting closer, singing and swearing loudly. Her heart started hammering as she picked up the rifle with Joe turning to look at her and whisper "I think the time is coming for you to prove how good you are with that thing Miss Harris"

Stephanie nodded and positioned the Rifle in the crook of her shoulder, she could hear the snap of twigs as the German's feet landed near their ditch. They weren't even trying to be quiet she thought. A gun shot echoed around the ditch and as if it were some kind of cue others echoed around. In no time Stephanie saw the shapes of German's swaggering up to the hole she was sat in with Joe. Trying to steady her breath she watched as Joe started to fire, the German's approaching them still singing as they fell. They were drunk, Stephanie absently noted as one suddenly appeared right in front of her, pointing a rifle at her. "FIRE YOUR GOD DAMNED WEAPON STEPH" Joe screamed from beside her, not thinking Stephanie squeezed the trigger of her rifle watching as blood flowed from the hole her bullet had made. The German fell but another one replaced him and Stephanie was suddenly shooting madly at anything that moved until it clicked empty. "Joe, ammo, I need more ammo"

Cursing Joe grabbed some from his pack and chucked them at her "here" he said as she quickly reloaded and fired a few more times until once again everything had gone very quiet.

She was shaking as Joe turned back to face here, Rifle still clutched to her shoulder. "Stephanie" Joe said softly, he stepped forward and uncurled her fingers from the barrel of the rifle before taking it off her.

"I killed them" she whispered in horror. "They're actually dead"

"what did you expect" Joe asked giving her an odd look.

Stephanie looked up at Joe, for the first time he actually saw the woman who had been hiding behind a lot of bravado. A woman who was scared and shouldn't have been anywhere near this war, never mind on the front line with a gun in her hands. "It never really occurred to me that they were men" Stephanie finally said "I suppose somewhere I kept expecting to just wake up. I'm not going to though am I? This is really happening"

Joe nodded once again "yeah, this is real"

"Oh god" Steph repeated slumping down to the dirt floor of the hole. Joe wasn't really sure what he was expected to do with her. He was relieved from having to think about it though as Floyd Talbert appeared crouched down at the edge of the dug out. "We're pulling back Joe, further into the defensive line. This position is to open and Lieutenant Winters doesn't think the men can handle another episode like that last one"

"Right"

"She ok?" Tab asked pointed at Stephanie who was still sat in the dirt.

Joe looked down at Stephanie before nodded "she'll be fine. Why do you fancy holding her hand, trying to get her through it"

"Funny Joe" Tab said "just hurry up and get out of here"

"Steph?" Joe asked bending down to the young woman. "Were moving, you ready?"

"My sister?" she asked suddenly "do you think she's alright"

Joe nodded "I'm sure she's fine. After all she's with Lieutenant Winters right?" Stephanie nodded and Joe held his hand out to haul her up to her feet "then she'll be alright. Lieutenant wouldn't let anything happen to her"

"you sure?" Stephanie asked taking his hand and letting him help her up.

"I'm sure" Joe answered giving her, her rifle back he climbed out of the dug out and turned to help Stephanie only to find her on her feet next to him smiling once again. "told you I could shoot Toye. Bet I got more of them than you did"

Apparently she was feeling better again because by hell she was already annoying him once more. "yeah right" he scoffed, "you wouldn't have had any if I hadn't reminded you where the trigger was"

"Oh I know where it is" she said softly, smirking at him before slinging her rifle over her shoulder and wandering off back behind the lines following the rest of the Easy Battalion and leaving Joe sure that she hadn't been talking about the rifle's trigger when she had said that last sentence. He was sure about one thing though, that girl was going to drive him insane, in more ways than one.

oooooooooooooooo

Marian on the other end of the line from her sister had been given back into the slightly more dangerous hands of Wild Bill Guarnere and Joseph Liebgott. The men had soon found out that Marian would be worse than useless in a gun fight so had sat her on the floor of their Dug out with her hands over her head trembling. Soon after that the word to move out had come down the line, along with word that the other sister really hadn't been bragging, she could fire that rifle she had carried around so well.

"Oi Marian, we're moving, get up"

Marian looked up to find Liebgott hanging over the edge of the dug out staring down at her. Carefully getting to her feet she swung the long braid of her hair over her shoulder and put the rifle on the edge of the hole. It was almost to her shoulders and she didn't think she was getting out, either way she put her hands on the edge and tried to hoist herself out, she instead fell flat on her arse. Liebgott just shook his head "yeah women on the front line was such a good idea" he muttered holding out his hand and pulling her out of the hole with little trouble.

Marian smiled at him "thank you Mr Liebgott" she said politely "you know I always liked you" she continued. Liebgott just looked at her, even with the brief amount of time he had spent with the young woman he had learnt to ignore most of what she said as crazy ramblings. It did make him wonder what the hell the Limeys had been thinking though to send this basket case over to the front lines.

"I did have a question though, most of the time about you?" Marian said looking hopefully at Liebgott.

"What's that Miss Marian?"

"Why do you let people think you're a Jew when your parents are Roman Catholics"

Liebgott stopped in shock, turning to stare at the young woman. "How the hell do you know that?" he demanded.

Marian just smiled vacantly "I think I read it somewhere, I'm not sure where at the minute but I'm sure it will come back to me eventually" she had continued to walk even when Liebgott had stopped so he hurried to catch up with her as they approached the other back line of the American defence. "Oi Miss Marian" he shouted making her stop and turn back round as he caught her up "I don't understand how you know all these things about us" he held his hand up to stop her saying that she had read it somewhere again "and I don't really care. Just don't tell the lads alright?"

Marian seemed to be thinking about it "do you not think they'd want to know?"

Liebgott shook his head "No, I don't think they would"

Joe watched as a flicker of sanity flooded Marian's eyes "Do you know where I'm from Joe?"

"England" he replied without hesitation.

Marian however narrowed her eyes slightly at him. "Mr Liebgott you are without doubt to intelligent to really believe that the British have decided to place women on the front line of combat, especially with people who aren't even British themselves"

"Be that as it may Miss Marian, I don't have any desire to know anymore than that you're a Brit and a damn nutty one at that"

Marian quite suddenly beamed at him and much like Bill did only hours before Liebgott felt the sun come out in the middle of the night in front of him. Damn the girl was pretty when she smiled. If you could get past the part where she was a complete fruit cake that was.

"If you say so Mr Liebgott" Marian said before walking off again.

"Will you please knock it off with the Mr Liebgott, my name's Joe" he muttered, somehow Marian heard him though as she turned to flash him her smile once more. Joe followed meekly behind her. Knowing full well if he let the broad get shot it would be his neck on the chopping block. Eventually Liebgott found him and Marian a place to dig in on the back line and started digging furiously in the dark soon after George Luz appeared bringing a shovel and an extra set of hands. They soon had their hole dug and had slid down into in, Joe pulled Marian down, hands on her waist to steady her.

"How's she holding up?" Luz asked peering at Marian who was sat down once again with her legs crossed and her hands folded into her lap, what was worse though was that she appeared to be singing the alphabet in French quietly to herself.

"Oh she's a barrel of laughs" Joe hissed at Luz.

"at least she's pretty enough to look at" Luz offered, staring at Marian himself "even in them OD's. Sure does fill um out better than us lot"

Marian suddenly stopped humming "thank you for noticing that George" she said politely, George's mouth dropped open and Joe barely restrained himself from laughing out loud. Marian however went back to her barely there singing, this time however she seemed to be singing in what only Joe could identify as German. How the hell did a Brit know not only the Frenchies language but the damn Jerry's one as well.

"geezus" George choked out "she's as batty as… well anything"

"she's damn funny at times though"

"thank you Mr Liebgott" Marian said once more looking up, this time however even in the dark Joe could see the smirk in her eyes. The sneaky chit wasn't as loopy as everyone was saying he was almost sure of it. Or at least sometimes he was. The occasional glint of intelligence flooded her eyes and she came out with some one liners almost as good as the men.

"Mr Liebgott" George whispered, "oh that's a good one Miss Marian"

"I've told her to stop calling me that" Joe snapped "fat lot o good it seems to have done" he then glared at Marian "how come he gets George and I'm stuck with Mr Liebgott"

Marian looked up blankly "I seem to have forgotten George's last name" she admitted "although I'm sure its just an oversight. It will soon come back to me"

"Luz" George muttered "it's Luz"

"Of course, you're going to be a very popular man George"

"What?" George asked obviously confused. Marian couldn't answer though as Lieutenant Welsh's head appeared over the edge of their dug out, silencing them and telling them the news. Talbert had been skewered by a bayonet from George Smith. Marian smiled sweetly and informed the men that she had already known that making Lieutenant Welsh stare in shock, George just look more confused and Joe to scowl. Welsh had gone soon after informing them of the plans for an offensive on the German line by 05:30 if nothing had stirred yet and telling them to get as much sleep as possible if they could.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey again! I know from reviews some of you have shown concerns about Marian. To be honest i know she's being a twit at the minute, but hang in there with me as this is the last chapter of craziness and there is going to be a reason come out about why she's gone/went so nuts.  
>Thanks for all the comments i appreciate all of them, and i'm glad your like Joe and Steph they're alot of fun to write.<p>

0000000000000

Joe Toye was nearly as confused as Joe Liebgott at the moment. For different reasons however. His sister was neither crazy or seemingly terrified of the weapon she was carrying. In fact even though he would never say it to her he had been most impressed by the amount of Jerry's she taken down before. Even if she had frozen at the first moment, she had more than made up for it afterwards.

No his main reason of confusion was that at this moment a sleeping Stephanie was almost laid on top of him. She had nodded off not long after they had gotten situated in the newest foxhole. Bill had joined them soon after to let her know that Marian was alright even if she was still not really fully there. Stephanie had nodded and smiled at Bill but before long her eyes were dropping closed. She had zoned out not long after her head falling to Joe's shoulder. He hadn't minded that after all she was a women and a pretty one at that. Soon after that though she had turned and her body had pressed itself against his side with her hand coming up to rest on his chest. Bill had raised one eyebrow at that but not said anything which Joe was eternally grateful for.

"Joe, Bill" Lieutenant Winter's voice called out softly from just beyond the edge of their dug out.

"Yeah sir" Bill answered as Winter's head then body appeared at the top of their hole. He crouched down at the edge looking hard at the sleeping girl resting on Joe.

"She fell asleep sir" Joe said "we didn't think it right to wake her but…?" the question was implied if not said. If winter's didn't like it they would wake her up again. He shook his head though "no let the girl sleep while she can"

"if youse doesn't mind me asking sir" Bill started "but just what are these girls doing here, on the line. Fighting"

Winters sighed and rubbed a hand over his paint smeared face. "I honestly don't know" he eventually said "I don't like them being here, war is no place for women. But I just don't know what else to do with them, and I got a feeling the only place their going to be safe is around us"

"You got a feeling sir?" Joe asked shifting to look at Winter's better. This made Stephanie moan slightly and wriggle closer to Joe who finally just gave in and put his arm round the young woman's shoulders and held her to him.

"I know how it sounds trust me Joe, but you saw them I.D documents as good as I did"

"and there real sir?"

Winters nodded "Nix checked them out, they've not been tampered with at all. I've got another terrible feeling that they really are telling the truth"

"hell I ain't ever seen a girl shoot like this one did" Joe muttered.

"and the other un, she comes out with some stuff she couldn't possibly know" Bill said "stuff's even I didn't know"

Winters nodded once more "I know it's not ideal in any manner of the word, but for now they need to stay with us" Joe and Bill just nodded. "as for us, we're going to attack at 05:30. Push across their line and hold them back. Make sure you keep near her Joe"

"Will do sir"

Winters stood up he hadn't gotten very far before he turned back to Joe and Bill "oh and guys, try and get some sleep yourselves"

Both men nodded and watched Winters melt back into the dark as he moved to the next man down the line. Joe looked down at the sleeping woman attached to his side. Bill was watching her as well from the other side of the dug out. In the light from the moon it really didn't seem that dark and he could make out a lot of her features. There wasn't much similarity between the two sisters. This one was as pale as the moon that lighted the ground, with hair black as ink. Marian had blue eyes as well were this one was brown. Not a smidgen of old one nuts Aryan race in her. She was leaner than her sister as well, not as tall either. There was no denying she was pretty though.

"she as comfy as she looks Joe"

"shut it Bill" Joe snapped glaring at his friend.

"anytime youse gets bored of having her just pass her on over" Bill continued making Joe glare at him and Bill chuckle softly to himself.

00000000000

As it turned out they didn't have to wait for Lieutenant Winters to give the order to attack as only minutes before the German's got bored of waiting for them and launched their own attack. What was even more shocking than that though was that Marian heard them before even Joe and George. Of course she hadn't heard them she just knew they would come. She remembered watching this fight occur in the TV show and knew it wouldn't be easy for the men of easy. After all their support retreated.

Looking up at Joe and George who had already turned and steadied their weapons in front of them, squeezing of shots, she wondered suddenly if this was what her sister would be doing. Sat on the ground with men stood protecting her. No she wouldn't Marian knew, her sister had never been the sit back and watch kind of person. She would be on the fore front probably shooting poor Corporal Toye into the ground. Making her mind up Marian carefully picked the rifle up from the floor next to her and positioned it as best she could against her shoulder she then crawled up next to Joe who briefly glanced at her "not the best time to grow a set Miss Marian" he shouted, without stopping firing.

"really Mr Liebgott, I couldn't think of a better time than with all these targets for practise"

"She's kinda got a point Joe" George shouted.

"You've got to be kidding" Joe shouted right back "she's more likely to shoot us than the damn Germans"

Marian was marvelling that the men were managing to argue and continue shooting at the same time. You can do this, she said to herself as she pointed the gun at the rapidly appearing Germans. Just squeeze the trigger she ordered herself. Her finger convulsed without much more thought. The rifle jerked into her shoulder the recoil hitting her not overly hard but she hadn't been expecting it and she turned to looked incredulously at Joe. "this gun just hit me" she said in horror.

"Miss Marian I'm a bit busy at the minute" Joe hissed then "for gods sake Marian. SIT" when a bullet screamed by Marian's helmet missing her by centimetres. Marian agreed and crouched back down in the hole.

"bloody hell where's F Company, and D for that matter" Joe yelled "we're getting hammered out here"

Marian pulled on the bottom of his trousers getting his attention "they fell back" she said helpfully.

"WHAT" George screamed "The bloody cowards"

"Don't worry" Marian tried to reassure him "the tanks will arrive soon. I'm almost positive it will be soon"

"what the hell is she going on about Joe" George demanded "what tank?"

"SHIT" Joe screamed and they were abruptly both crouched next to her as dirt went flying up into the air from the tank shell. Marian screeched in horror and turning buried herself in Joe's chest. It was an automatic reaction as she presumed was him instantly putting his arms round her and squeezing. "that tank" Marian mumbled in Joe's chest.

George reached out and patted her shaking shoulder as Joe let her go. "Don't worry Miss Marian we won't let them German's blow you up. Your way to pretty to be in pieces"

Marian's eyes widened in surprise "why thank you George. I think"

George frowned "yeah thinking about it that didn't come out right did it?"

"ya think" Joe sniped as he grabbed his rifle and popped his head over the top of the hole once more before crouching down again "the damn thing's focused right on top of us"

"I'm sure Lieutenant Welsh and Private McGrath will take care of it soon" Marian said trying to be reassuring "I could tell you when, however I seem to have misplaced my watch. Maybe it's on the edge"

Marian tried to stand up and look but Joe grabbed her "ARE YOU CRAZY!" he shouted yanking her back to her backside.

"Yes" Marian said reasonably "I do believe I am. Hadn't you noticed yet?"

Joe just shook his head "I don't believe this"

"You and me both buddy" Marian said. Smiling at George who just looked confused again. A loud cheer was suddenly heard from above their hole and Marian grinned "My gosh, that must be the Sherman's. George be a dear and check would you?"

George looked at Joe who just shrugged "do as the lady says Luz, it's easier to go along with her"

George stood up and his draw dropped open "Bleeding Christ. How could she possible know that?"

"She's crazy remember" Joe said getting up and watching as low and behold it Sherman's flooded the area taking out the few remaining German's. Marian stood up beside him as well smiling at seemingly nothing.

"It will be so nice to have a warm bed" Marian muttered as Joe and George climbed out the dug out, Joe not even asking just holding his hand out to pull her out of the hole as well, George wandering off muttering to himself about crazy broads and war.

"What are you going on about now?" Joe asked resigned to listening to more of her babble.

"Well they'll be pulling us back to Carentan now, so that should mean a bed. Maybe even hot food and alcohol. I'm a bit fuzzy on some of the details"

Joe just shook his head in disbelief "come on darling" he muttered pulling her along behind him "we need to get you dropped off with someone else I need a bloody break"

"What about my watch?" Marian asked turning back to the dug out.

"What?" Joe asked in incredulity "Marian your damn watch isn't there, now lets shift it alright. Don't you want to see that sister of yours"

Marian beamed "it would be pleasant to see Stephanie"

"well lets go then"

"Ok" Marian agreed holding the strap of her rifle in one hand she didn't even notice that Joe hadn't let go of her other hand as he pulled back along the lines along with the rest of the departing Easy company.

000000000000000

"Marian" Stephanie screamed in relief running up to her newly appeared sister and yanking her into a tight hug. Marian hugged her back gently patting her on the back. "are you ok?" Stephanie demanded "did they look after you?"

Marian nodded "oh yes. Mr Liebgott and… damn I've forgotten George's last name again"

"Marian?" Stephanie asked cautiously.

"What? Oh yes they were very kind to me, even though I wasn't much use"

Stephanie looked closely at her sister. The numbness seemed to have fled but it had taken Marian's mind with it. Could shock cause temporary insanity? She asked herself. It seemed like it could because Marian was quite obviously three sheets to the wind at the moment.

"Come on Mari, Lieutenant Nixon was going to find us somewhere to sleep"

"that was nice of him" Marian said absently, while she looked round the town of Carentan once more. The men were lounging around on various bits of rubble and coming in and out of the buildings that weren't in pieces. They occasionally stopped to stare at the two women, the ones she had seen waved and smiled at her. Marian didn't notice any of them though she was busy searching for another man, a small Italian to be precise. Spotting him she waved madly and pulling away from her sister she walked over to Perconte.

"Sergeant Perconte" she said greeting the small man who blindly took the outstretched hand Marian offered him and shook it. "Sergeant I have something to ask you, a favour if you will?"

"Yes miss?" he said still gazing at her in shock.

"I'm aware of the fact that in your souvenir gathering you have acquired multiple watches. I was wondering if I may use one"

"A watch Miss, you want a watch?"

Marian nodded "yes exactly"

"I'd just give her one Perconte, its easier than fighting with the broad" Liebgott's voice suddenly appeared from behind Marian.

"Hello Mr Liebgott" Marian said without turning around.

"Mister?" Perconte asked a slight smirk turning up the corners of one side of his mouth. "she call you Mister Joe"

"Don't even go there Perconte" Joe warned dangerously "and give the girl a damn watch"

Perconte shrugged and rolling up one sleeve he undid a watch and handed it over to Marian. "Thank you Sergeant Perconte" she said. "I believe Lieutenant Nixon was trying to find me and my sister some sort of sleeping arrangement so I will bid you goodbye" Marian walked away leaving Joe and Frank stood there on their own,

"She really is cuckoo ain't she?" Frank said

"So it would seem" Liebgott answered staring at Marian's back as she walked away, her sister taking her hand and pulling her away from the men towards one of the buildings near HQ that was in one piece. Joe was still watching when Marian turned round to look back directly at him she winked and grinned at him before following Stephanie in the building. Joe shook his head in disbelief. He was starting to wonder how crazy the girl really was. At times yes her mind did seem to work in a weird and wonderful way, but she was fully aware of where she was and she had a wicked sense of humour sometimes. Joe continued to stand and stare at the building Marian had vanished into before one the guys came and dragged him off with the lure that they had found alcohol.


	6. Chapter 6

A slightly longer chapter this time, and a bit of action towards the end that i think you might like! Also i'm pleased to announce the return of a semi sane Marian. Which i hope will please people.  
>As always i hope you enjoy and let me now what you all think. Even just so i know someone is still reading this!<br>One more thing before the chapter, i'd like to say thank you to 'everchanging' you always review and i love hearing your comments. This chapter is for you!

00000000000000

July 20th Aldbourne England

Bill Guarnere was sat in the mess hall playing patience enjoying a rare moment of silence. Not that he we would ever admit to needing silence every so often. When he heard the screaming and shouting coming from outside. One was quite obviously the voice of Joe Toye one of his best mates this side of the Atlantic. The other was English, female and most definitely irate. Sure enough within minutes Stephanie flew into the mess, her hair streaming behind her unbound for once, she was red faced with rage, her eyes flashing daggers. Joe was close on her heels, as always equally as angry. Both of them sat down opposite Bill who looked between the two of them in boredom. It had been this way ever since they'd been pulled back from Carentan and off the front line. The two of them were at each others necks every day, screaming and shouting about one thing or another. The men of E Company had started a poll a few days after arriving back in England on how long it would take the two of them to just get into bed and sort it out there. Bill was starting to hope it would be sooner rather than later as he was starting to get a migraine from dealing with the two of them.

The other sister, Marian seemed to have managed to contain herself more, something about being back in England had snapped something back into place within her and according to Stephanie she was pretty much the same Marian that she was back…home. She was normally found holed up with Captain Winters and Nixon. The latter trying to get any and all information out of the girl that they could get about the upcoming war. As far as Bill knew so far they hadn't been overly successful. Marian being back to her rational self seemed to have developed some sort of conscience. She apparently didn't want to tell them something that may affect the entire outcome of the war. She had said to much already when she was having in her words her 'episode'. When she wasn't with those two she had surprisingly enough managed to form some sort of relationship with Joseph Liebgott. Bill was pretty sure it wasn't physical, or not yet it wasn't anyway.

"BILL"

Bill looked up in surprise to find Stephanie glaring at him "What?" he asked.

"I've been talking for ages, did you even hear a word of it?"

"Sorry doll, I was miles away"

"best place to be when she's around" Joe muttered.

Steph heard him though as she shot her elbow out into his ribs making Joe grunt and glare at her "like you'd know" she hissed.

"what did youse want?" Bill cut in, before their argument started up again.

Stephanie threw one more glare at Joe before saying "Captain Winters was thinking about putting me and Marian on the pay book. Colonel Sink approved it and it would mean we'd get some pay as well, only problem is we'd have to be registered under a different name as we technically don't exist yet"

Bill nodded "seems fair enough love, after all youse is fighting just the same as us"

Stephanie beamed "see that's what I said" she turned and smirked at Joe "I told you he'd agree"

"you haven't told him all of it yet" Joe answered looking over at Bill. "they want to register them as Easy Men, only they need our names to do it"

Bill frowned "I don't get it. What names?"

Joe pointed to himself then Bill. "I mean us. They want to register Stephen Toye and Mark Guarnere"

Bill almost choked on thin air "what" he demanded "what the hell?"

This time Joe smirked at Stephanie which just got him another elbow to the ribs. "it makes sense" Stephanie insisted "we'll be registered as your brothers and the only thing you need do is sign a witness form"

"you realise if that's found out we're up on a court martial and shot" Bill demanded "do you want me dead Steph cause I'm sures there's easier ways of doing it"

"you know I don't want that Bill and I hate having to put any of you in any more danger than your already in" she paused then smiled "I wouldn't even want him shot if I could avoid it"

"why thank you so much Miss Harris" Joe drawled. He moved this time before the elbow could connect with his ribs though.

"I just need some protection" Stephanie said suddenly clutching the edge of the table and leaning towards Bill "recently I've been thinking, if me and Marian can't get that damn box to work again and we're stuck here how are we going to live with no money, with nothing…" she faded off and Bill was horrified to see a sheen of tears covering the young women's eyes. Their were three things in life Bill Guarnere hated, number one was prohibition even though he couldn't remember it, just the idea of alcohol being illegal made him shudder. Number two was the damn Nazi's and he was blowing a lot of them to hell. Last but not least was Number three, a women's tears. He caved pretty quickly as soon as they appeared "geezus girly" he muttered "fine, you've got my consent youse my name just pray to god me ma never finds out"

Stephanie beamed and lunged further across the table to kiss him on the cheek. She then turned standing up to glare down at Joe once more "Toye?" she demanded.

"do I have a choice" Joe mumbled moodily

"no" Stephanie answered immediately.

"fine then" he said standing up as well to put his face close to hers "but if I get shot I'm coming back to kill you"

Stephanie smirked "you'd have to catch me first. Corporal" Stephanie whispered before taking off waving at Bill and winking at Joe who growled something Bill didn't catch before taking off after her screaming her name once more. Bill sighed in resignation. Them two seriously needed to hurry up and get busy.

000000000000000

Stephanie stood in front of her bed in the room she and Marian had been allocated and glared down at the obnoxious uniform she was having to wear. She was so fed up of being swamped in OD's. Dick had done his best to find them a pair that would fit but even so, the smallest men's uniform they had still swamped Stephanie. Sighing she picked up the offending shirts and pulled them on, tightening her trousers and pulled on her boots. She was tying them when Marian appeared, Stephanie smiled up at her sister who smiled weakly back before falling onto her bed with her eyes closed.

Marian looked ragged, there was no other word for it. She had large dark circles under her eyes, her skin was pale and her normally curvier than her sister had lost a lot of weight. She was shut in doors with the two Captains for most of the day under what could only be considered intense questioning. With both sides trying to determine just what Marian could disclose safely without affecting anything to do with the outcome of the war.

"Mari, I'm going to meet the guys at the pub. You coming?"

Marian groaned and covered her eyes with her arm "I don't know if I can move"

"It'll be good, you need to do fun things, instead of staring at maps and charts all evening" Marian didn't answer "You get to watch me annoy Joe"

Marian managed to move her arm and glare at Steph "you realise only you finds that fun, everyone else just finds it immensely frustrating"

Steph pouted "fine. Well you can come see Liebgott"

"Why should that tempt me?" Marian asked "what can Liebgott offer me that's better than sleep"

Stephanie grinned "do I need to answer that one"

"What you need is to get your mind out of the gutter it resides in"

"spoil sport" Stephanie teased pulling on her jacket the weather in England hadn't changed much in 60 odd years apparently. "come on Mari, it'll be fun"

Marian shook her head "I really need to sleep Steph"

"You can sleep when your dead! Come on Mari?" Steph insisted grabbing her sisters hand and yanking her back to her feet. Marian groaned in protest but didn't stop Stephanie from dragging her out of their shared room and down towards the pub.

000000000000

The noise in the pub suddenly dropped to such a sound that you could've heard a pin drop onto the wooden floorboards below. Marian watched as her sister slowly got to her feet, Joe Toye standing up next to her, apparently this was it, their argument had been brewing all night, hell it had been going since they first got to this war zone. They'd been worse tonight though. Marian didn't know what had set it off but the two of them had bickered worse than usual before finally going over to one corner of the pub to really hiss and snark at each other. A full fledged argument not just teasing. They had rejoined the group a few table away from Marian about ten minutes ago but obviously it had flared up again. Marian hadn't heard what exactly Joe had said to make it go so quiet but it must have been bad because Marian had only seen her baby sister look like that at a man once before and the ending of that story hadn't been good or pretty for the guy.

"Do you want to try and say that again Toye? Tell me what you actually meant? go ahead don't spare my feelings" Stephanie hissed making Marian pray that whatever he had said he would have the brains not to repeat it.

"Marian?" Liebgott whispered from beside her.

"This isn't good Lieb" she whispered back her fists clenching tightly as she watched the scene in front of them playing out. Even the men of easy company seemed to have realised that this was not going to go well as they had discreetly gotten out of the way of both Stephanie and Toye. "Well?" Stephanie threatened.

"I said" Joe answered "that you shouldn't be here"

Stephanie frowned "no you did not" she hissed "What you scared of telling me what you really said in front of everyone else?"

"I'm not scared of you Stephanie, far from it" Joe snarled

"Then man up big guy and tell me what you meant" she said softly stepping around the table to get up close to the big corporal. Marian could see this turning physical and decided it had gone far enough she stood up "Steph, enough" she stated.

"Stay out of this Marian" Stephanie said not even bothering to look at her sister.

"Stephie I mean it. Enough"

"And I meant it to Marian, stay OUT of this"

"Need your nut case of a sister to stand up for you do you Harris?"

Stephanie's hands balled up into fists and Marian was sure she was going to swing for him. "don't you dare bring Marian into this Toye. She isn't the one who's been rude, argumentative and sexist ever since we got here"

Joe snorted "Of course I've been sexist, you're a woman Harris. A woman who hasn't got the common sense to know what's good for her"

Marian sucked in her breath and slumped to her chair again "oh that wasn't a good move Toye" she muttered to herself.

"I'm a woman" Stephanie repeated quietly before glaring daggers at Joe "did you or did you not miss the part where I shot just as many bloody German's as you. You egotistical self righteous sexist pig"

"and did you miss the part where as a woman your meant to be in a house, cooking, washing, looking at clothes and no where near the bloody front lines. Have you taken a look at yourself recently Harris. You look like a mess, and a joke a little girl pretending to be a grown up in a mans world"

"Joe" Bill said suddenly appearing "Joe mate that's enough now" he took Joe's arm and tried to pull him away but Joe wouldn't go without one more shot "she needs to learn Bill, you hear me Harris, you aren't a man and you've got to stop trying to pretend to be one, stop bloody trying to be something that your just not"

Marian shot back to her feet as Stephanie almost visibly flinched and took a few steps back away from Toye. Smiling weakly she looked back at Joe "I suppose its nice to know what you actually think about me. Thanks" she then turned and fled from the pub, brushing off Marian who tried to stop her and only pausing to grab the bottle of beer she had gotten and a rifle from just inside the door.

Marian was almost shaking with rage as she then went and stood in front of corporal Toye. "enough Marian, enough's been said" Lipton said appearing beside the young woman. "no Lip, nothing like enough has been said" Marian said, carefully keeping her voice even and regulated. "you all have no idea what my sisters been through in her life, and you Joseph Toye had absolutely no right to speak to her like that"

"You have to know Marian that it isn't safe for you two to carry on following us around. We're in a war"

"you think we don't know that" Marian scoffed "because trust me I am more than aware of that fact"

"Then why the hell are you both doing this?" Joe demanded.

Marian shrugged "because we haven't gotten anywhere else to go" was what she said making most the men in the room flinch. Even Toye looked suitably chastised. "Stephanie cares, about all of you but you especially and its been along time since she cared about another man"

Joe flinched slightly suddenly realising that every single man in the pub was listening to their conversation. Marian smiled slightly as she saw him realise that fact "it's to late to care about an audience now Joe"

"I didn't want to hurt her" Joe finally said "I just want her to see that this" he gestured around the room at the other soldiers "isn't a life for a woman"

"Where we're from women get to chose what life they have for themselves" Marian said softly "maybe you should let my sister choose for herself" she didn't wait for him to answer just walked back over to the small table she had been sat at quietly asking Liebgott if he would walk her back to her lodgings. Joe nodded and walked out of the pub leaving Toye and the other soldiers in a tense silence. Toye feeling more guilty than he ever thought he could of.

00000000000000

The rain was hammering down hard making visibility almost zero, not helped by the fact that the water had plastered her hair down across her face and into her eyes. It didn't stop Steph clutching the rifle to her shoulder tight though. Firing shot after shot into the hastily erected target. The rain was hiding the tears streaming down her face but still she pulled the trigger. Running out of bullets she simply reloaded quickly and started again. The target taking on the face of first Joe Toye repeatedly saying she should stop pretending to be someone she wasn't, the face rapidly morphed into Thomas O'Caine though. The first boy she had given her heart to, only for him to break it into tiny pieces.

He had said something very similar to what Joe said one day. Something along the lines of she was to much of a boy playing at being a woman, she wasn't what he was looking for and certainly nothing that he would ever take home to introduce to his posh snobbish family. Stupid prick she mouthed as she shot him straight between the eyes. Before the face of Toye appeared once more, her anger grew exponentially and she fired, putting a bullet in Toye's skull this time.

"Steph"

She ignored the person shouting her name, blindly carrying on shooting. The loud fire of the gun all she focused on.

"Stephanie" the person shouted again, putting a large hand down on her shoulder. Steph reacted before she could think turning round on the balls of her feet, hitting the butt of her rifle into his face, dropping him to the floor in the mud of the English field. "Don't touch me Toye" she hissed as he looked up at her from the ground. "don't you dare touch me"

Toye raised himself up on his elbows staring up at the young women stood in the rain, her eyes flashing in more than anger this time. He had never seen pain in Stephanie Harris's eyes and he knew suddenly that he deserved more than the current pain in his jaw for putting it there. He got slowly to his feet, surprised that Stephanie didn't try and stop him, she just stood not moving in the rain, now looking up at him. The rifle she still held pressed awkwardly between the two of them.

"I'm sorry" he said uncomfortably, he gently took hold of the rifle between them pulling but Steph wouldn't let go. "I'm sorry" he repeated forcing her to let go of the gun and throwing it a few feet away from the pair of them. Just to make sure she couldn't possibly shoot him.

"Why are you sorry" Steph ground out "you only said what you meant"

"No I didn't" Joe insisted. Carefully he reached out and put one of his large hands on the side of her face "I said what I knew would hurt you"

"Why?"

Joe chanced a small smile and when she didn't try and hit him he continued "you've confused me from the start Stephanie Harris, ever since you woke up and kneed me in the balls. Especially when you proved you really could shoot that rifle you carry around so well and mostly well the… things I feel for you are confusing"

"I don't understand" Stephanie whispered.

"neither do I" Joe answered "I know I'm going to regret it though if I don't do this at least once before we drop into Holland. Back to death and glory"

"do what?" Stephanie asked, Joe smiled at her again before quickly leaning down and capturing her mouth with his own. Shocked she didn't move for a good few seconds until his hands reached down to her hips and pulled her closer to him. Carefully she wrapped her arms round his neck and let him coax her into opening her mouth.

Slowly Joe pulled away from her letting his forehead stay resting against Stephanie's. "Still angry at me?" he asked softly. Stephanie smiled and shook her head. "Come on then" he said taking her hand and pulling her along after him back towards the town "lets get you dry".

0000000000000

Marian was sat at the mess table with her sister, Joe Liebgott and Toye. Bill Guarnere was sat next to her trying to teach her how to play craps and still eat his dinner at the same time. It wasn't working very well but the other guys were in stitches watching the two of them, with Liebgott trying to point out which card to play over her shoulder every so often when he'd stopped laughing.

"Maybe this just ain't a broads game" Bill finally conceded.

Marian smiled "I think it's just not my game Bill"

"You might be right love" Bill said finally throwing his cards down and turning his full attention on his dinner. Marian looked round the mess hall noting the new faces among the men she had already come to know. Some better than others she thought as from across the room George winked and waved at her. Marian smiled and waved at Talbert who had come back to the platoon that morning. She had heard a rumour of a plan to give Talbert a purple heart. She remembered the scene from the Band of Brothers show and knew it must be coming soon, if it was still going to happen. Which also meant that the news that they were deploying to Holland was coming soon. Captain Winters had been discreetly trying to teach the two sisters how to jump. Stephanie was loving it, it appealed to her crazy personality. Marian was having a bit more difficulty. She could do all of the checks and she knew the positions to take, it was the actually jumping bit she was having a problem with. The part where she was expected to jump from a perfectly good plane into nothing.

"OI EVERYONE, SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE"

Marian turned to look at Smoky Gordon who had stood up a grin on his face as he rankled Sergeant Talbert for a moment before launching into the night of the Bayonet, everyone listening rapturously as he recited

"The night was filled with dark and cold

When Sergeant Talbert the stories told,

Pulled out his Poncho and headed out

To check the lines dressed like a Kraut

Upon a trooper our hero came,

Fast asleep he called his name.

"Smith, oh Smith, get up its time

To take your turn out on the line."

Private Smith, so very weary,

Cracked an eye all red and bleary

Grabbed his rifle and did not tarry

Hearing Floyd but seeing Jerry.

"It's me!" cried Tab. "Don't do it!" and yet,

Smith charged toute de suite with bayonet.

He lunged, he thrust, both high and low

And skewered the boy from kokomo.

And as they carried him away,

Our punctured hero was heard to say,

"When in this war you venture out,

best never do it dressed as a Kraut!"

The noise in the mess was deafening as applause rattled round the huge room. Stephanie was beaming from the other side of the table and Marian couldn't help but smile as well as Gordon shushed them all again to proudly present Talbert with one of his many purple hearts.

Marian's heart sank with dread when Sergeant Lipton appeared at the front of the room a heart breaking look on his face. No doubt not willing to spoil the mood but having no choice. "Couple of announcements to make men" he shouted, then almost smiling as Stephanie shouted 'OI' at him he amended it to "couple of announcements to make men, woman and Stephanie"

Stephanie glared at Lip but beside her Joe Toye folded up in laughter, Stephanie turned her glare to him before throwing a remarkably good from sitting down left hook at him, catching him on the nose. Joe groaned "bloody hell woman" he grumbled. Marian smirked at her sister, it turned out that even though the two of them had managed to make up that still didn't change the fact that they were going to bicker until one of the them couldn't speak anymore. Lip quieted the two of them continuing "First the training exercise scheduled for 22:00 has been cancelled"

Cheers rang round the room as Muck shouted out "OH YEAH" from one table over. Marian just smiled sadly making Stephanie raise one eyebrow at her in question. Marian nodded back over to Lip. "Listen" she mouthed.

Stephanie turned back to Lip who once he had silenced the men again continued once more with "secondly all passes are herby revoked. We're heading back to France, so pack up all your gear. We will not be returning to England boys"

"Shit" Liebgott whispered from beside Marian. As the smiles faded from all the men's faces. "Anyone who has not made out a will go to the supply office. Trucks depart from Membury at 0700. As you were"


	7. Chapter 7

It has been pointed out to me that Craps was in fact a dice game not a card game, so sorry about the error there. I am going to go back and fix it, eventually. However for now i'll just state it here that they were in fact playing Poker. Once again sorry about that.  
>Thanks for the comments for the last chapter, i got a few this time so it was brilliant to know people are enjoying my story. Especially as i'm still loving writing it. So enough from me, enjoy the next chapter.<p>

00000000000000000

"Do you seriously just enjoy making the man miserable?" Marian asked curiously as she stared at her sister. Stephanie was leaning back in her seat at the table. She had shed the top two layers of her uniform leaving her in just the very fitted in fact skin tight black tank top that she had been wearing the day they had arrived here from 2003. Malarkey had had all the girls clothes laundered and Stephanie seemed to be taking great delight in finally wearing something that fit her.

She turned to smirk at her sister "I'm not doing anything to him" she said sweetly, making Marian smile back at her baby sister.

"Yeah course your not Stephie. You realise no man in this room has stopped staring at your…assets since you sat down"

"How is that my fault. I'm a girl I can't make them go away. After all I'm just doing what women should do. I'm sitting watching the male of our species play darts. Thats what women should do right? Watch?"

Marian actually laughed out loud this time as Stephanie examined her empty glass smiling as she got up to get another one from the bar, before she went though she put her arms high above her head in a pretence of stretching, her tank top raising a good few inches above the belt of her heard someone curse and whistle from behind the two girls. Stephanie turned and smiled before going over to the bar.

"She trying to give Toye a hernia?"

Marian turned smiling to look at Liebgott who had just sat in Stephanie's empty chair. "Would it be working if she was?"

Leibgott smiled then pointed out Toye who seemed to be trying to throw his darts through the actual wall. "I think its working"

"She always was good at tormenting guys" Marian said softly watching as her sister flirted up a storm with the poor guy behind the bar.

"What about you Miss Marian" Joe teased "got a fella back home have you?"

Marian shook her head "not unless you count my gramps"

"how come?" Joe asked trying not to sound to pleased about her lack of entanglement.

Marian shrugged "I guess I just haven't found the right one"

Joe was about to answer when Stephanie dropped down onto the chair beside him plunking a beer in front of him while necking from her own. "Alright JD. How's it hanging" she said happily once she had put the glass down. Marian frowned and shook her head at her sister. Stephanie for some reason seemed to find it hilarious that Joe shared his beginning two initials with those of a famous Tennessee whisky and had taken to calling him JD. Joe didn't seem to mind much though.

"safe and sound thank god Steph" Joe answered grinning back at the younger sister. "You planning on teasing Toye all night"

"Why, you want me to stop?" Stephanie asked.

Joe grinned and shook his head "not at all, I'm enjoying watching the bugger squirm"

"Maybe I should crank it up a notch then" Stephanie said evilly.

"by all means Steph" Joe answered.

Stephanie smiled and downed the rest of her beer before walking over to where Bill was sat talking to a group of fresh replacements. He stopped talking when Steph appeared next to him. The replacements eyes all turning glued to her. "Oi" Bill snapped angrily "eyes off the lady, unless you wanna be singing soprano for the next 6 months"

The replacements eyes all quickly dropped as Stephanie laughed before sitting and getting herself comfy on Bills knee. "Hi Bill" she said softly.

Bill's eyebrows shot up to meet his hairline "Stephanie"

She leant over so she could whisper in Bills ear "just play along with me. Please Bill?"

"You realise youse is gonna send him to an early grave if you keeps this up"

"So you don't want to play?" Stephanie asked.

Bill's hand came round and playfully spanked as much of her bottom as he could get at "try and stop me"

Stephanie laughed wriggling slightly on his knee. "is he watching?"

Bill sent a quick glance over her shoulder grinning as he caught Toye's eye. It seemed the darts game had just about finished seen as Buck had finally changed hands to throw with his right. Joe however had his eyes firmly fixed on Stephanie and Bill, he looked angry as a bull with a red cloth in front of him. "oh he's watchin" Bill said happily. "Just talk into me neck love. Make it look good"

Stephanie did as he asked, pressing her face into the crook of Bill's neck just to muffle her delighted laughter.

"What the hell are you playing at" Joe snapped as she was yanked away from Bill and back to her feet.

Stephanie smiled sweetly at Joe. "I couldn't find an empty chair, so Bill volunteered"

"Oh I just bet he did" Toye said glaring down at him.

Bill simply held his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "leave me outta it" he demanded "it were the minx's idea"

Joe just dragged Stephanie to the corner of the pub. "We're spending a lot of time here Joe" she said conversationally "hopefully you aren't going to scream at me again"

"I bloody well should" he grumbled "cavorting around in that…" he waved at her tank top "and jumping onto men's knees"

"I did not jump on Bill, and I happen to like this top"

"I'm sure you do" Joe muttered "I don't"

"Aw Corporal Toye are you jealous"

Joe's eyes flared with something dangerous as he suddenly leant down and smashed his mouth into hers. Pressing her back against the wall of the pub. Stephanie whimpered in her throat as he forced her mouth open and pressed himself as close to her as possible before jerking away. The whole pub had gone silent staring at the two of them. Marian was laughing silently to herself and Stephanie's eyes hardened as she realized what he'd just advertised to everyone in the unit. To basically keep their eyes to themselves as she was taken. "You arse" she hissed.

Joe just grinned as she clenched her fists together "a ah darling I don't think so" he said holding her wrists down by her side "no more taking shots at me"

"I really dislike you Joseph Toye"

Joe just smirked at her "I disagree, would you like me to prove you wrong"

He luckily didn't get chance to try and prove her wrong as Smokey shouted from the front of the pub "Hey ya'll listen up! I got us an announcement to make. This here is Carwood Lipton"

"He's already married Smokey" Malarkey shouted getting sniggers from most of the men in the room.

"This here is Carwood Lipton, the new Easy Company first Sergeant! As befitting his position he says he has an announcement to make"

Stephanie's eyes instantly flicked to Marian who shook her head. Her sister had gone pale and Stephanie knew instinctively what Lipton was going to say. She twisted her wrist in Joe's hold finding his fingers and lacing them with her own. Joe didn't look down at her, still staring at Lipton he did however tighten his larger hand around her own, squeezing reassuringly.

"Well I hate to break the mood here boys" Lip said and the all the soldiers faces in the pub suddenly changed they knew what was coming. Everyone did, they still needed Lipton to come out and say in though. "we're moving out again"

000000000000000000

The girls had seemingly been accepted by everyone in the whole unit by now as they were even being given seats in the briefing hall with the rest of the men. Marian had been surprised by how quiet her sister had actually gone now she knew that they were actually going to have to jump. When Marian had asked her what was wrong Stephanie had just replied that she wasn't entirely without knowledge of this whole war. She knew that when Marian had told her they'd be jumping to Holland it meant she was going to be surrounded by Eisenhower's biggest mistake of the war. 'Operation Market Garden'.

Marian had offered to tell her what happened. Who they would lose and who would be safe, mainly just so she could tell Stephanie that Toye would be okay. For know anyway. Stephanie had refused though saying she didn't think she would be able to look in the men's faces knowing they weren't going to make it back home again. Instead she seemed to have finally stopped bickering long enough with Joe to actually talk to him and now they were sat in the briefing hall her two hands firmly clasping Joe's larger hand on Stephanie's lap listening to Captain Winters and Nixon.

"As you can see, this is called Operation Market Garden. In turns of airborne divisions this ones even bigger than Normandy. We're dropping deep into occupied Holland" Winters paused to point at a road on the map behind him "the allied objective is to take this road here, between Eindhoven and Arnhem so the two British armoured divisions can move up it toward Arnhem. We're to liberate Eindhoven and wait for the tanks"

Marian looked over at her sister who had gone remarkably pale once again. She was if possible clutching Joe even tighter make the corporal keep glancing down at her in worry. The two sisters had stayed up most of the previous night battling over what exactly they could or should say about operation Market Garden. Both knew it was going to be a disaster, that the American forces would lose huge numbers of men. But how much could they possibly say and not effect the outcome of an entire war.

"The entire European advance has been put on hold to allocate resources for this operation" Nixon stated moving towards the front of the platform he and Winters were stood on "it's Montgomery's personal plan, we'll be under British Command"

The room rang through with sighs of exasperation someone shouting shit out at the back. Marian watched in silent humour as her sister suddenly released Joe's hand and shot to her feet turning to glare at the entire hall of men. Silence reigned once more in an instant "you louts got something against the British?" Stephanie demanded. No one answered her, all the men of E Company sat around the bristling girl were diligently avoiding making eye contact with her. "just remember you Yanks, we're fighting just as much as you. What's the difference between a British man dieing for his country or an American"

Nixon cleared his throat loudly from the stage. "Miss Harris?" he questioned. "if you'll remain seated please" he would have sounded much more like he was in charge if he hadn't been smirking and trying to hold back laughter. Stephanie just nodded and slumped back to her seat, instantly grabbing Joe's hand once more.

"It'll be a daytime job and intelligence doesn't expect much resistance. In any case say goodbye to England, I don't think they're gonna call this one off"

The officers vacated the stage motioning for Marian to follow them. She briefly squeezed her sisters shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile then getting up climbed over the men of easy company to jump to the floor next to Captain Winters and follow the two of them out of the briefing hall.

Stephanie also got to her feet waving at Bill, Babe and Buck who had been sat behind her she quickly dodged her way out of the throng of soldiers pulling Joe along with her. He sensibly didn't try and stop her he just followed silently along behind her until finally Stephanie found a relatively quiet storage room and pushed Joe round the corner jumping on him soon after.

Joe managed to catch her as she kissed him frantically, clawing at the shoulders of his jacket trying to get as close to him as possible.

"Harris?" Joe said between kisses "Steph, stop it" he finally managed to hold her still as she looked up at him from where he was holding her against the wall of the building. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing" she muttered sullenly.

"You know something" Joe realised quickly "Something about the operation that your not telling anyone"

Steph looked away from him unable to look him in the eye. The truth was she was scared. She didn't know what was going to happen in the coming weeks, all she did know for certain was that a lot of good men were going to lose their lives.

"Steph? What is it? What do you know?"

"Do you really want to know?" she asked looking up at Joe again finally.

"Do you really want to tell someone?" he countered.

"I don't know. I don't know which is better"

Joe paused and finally said "so this market garden operation, it isn't going to go as smooth as their trying to make out? Right?"

Stephanie nodded "its going to be a disaster"

"do you know what happens to the guys"

She shook her head "not specifically Marian offered to tell me but I didn't want to know"

Joe gently cupped the side of her face with his hand letting his forehead fall down to rest against hers. "I can't even tell you it'll be alright can I? cause you already know it won't be"

"Maybe I should ask Marian, get her to tell me what happens for definite" Stephanie paused "would you want to know?"

"You mean would I want to know if I was going to die"

Stephanie gulped and nodded finding she had somehow lost her voice upon hearing Joe talk about his own death.

"no. I don't think I would. It's bad enough the not knowing never mind waiting for something terrible I know is going happen"

"I just feel useless"

Joe smiled and gently kissed her forehead pulling her into his chest holding her tightly. Stephanie buried her face into his coat and let him try and reassure her the only way he could. "we all do" she heard him mutter from somewhere above her head. She couldn't answer, instead she just stood there holding him as tightly as he was holding her.

0000000000000

"Hey Doc"

"Miss Marian" Eugene answered politely looking up at the young woman as she tried to move towards him. She was struggling mightily what with the weight of all her equipment along with trying to fix her rifle into a somewhat comfortable position. "Captain Winters said something about me jumping with you"

"He did?" Eugene asked as Marian nodded at him.

"Oh bloody hell" Marian snapped as she lost her footing and precarious balance falling backwards to land on her bottom.

"Can I help you Miss" Eugene asked walking towards her. The medic offered her his hand and sighing Marian took it, allowing him to walk her upright again. As she held tighter to her rifle trying to get to the open door of the plane. Eugene gallantly holding her arm helped pull her along. Marian paused at the door of the plane with Eugene behind her and Bill Guarnere's face appearing in front of her holding out a hand to pull her into the plane. Marian turned once more though staring at the point she had left her sister. Stephanie had moved to her own plane and was looking back at Marian. Captain Nixon was stood next to her waiting to help her into the plane. Marian smiled and blew a kiss to her sister who did the same.

Marian knew what would happen in Holland and inside her stomach was somersaulting and her heart kept screaming at her to tell Winters and Nixon what was going to happen. She knew though or her mind did that it was beyond dangerous to tell the captains what she knew. If she changed the outcome of even one battle the entire future that she was desperate to get back to could be entirely rewritten. So instead of dumping her kit on the ground and running to her sister she smiled once more and turned to Bill putting her hand in his.

Bill tried to smile at Marian as he took her smaller hand into his and with Eugene helping from behind hauled the young woman into the plane. He knew though that even his smile was faltering this time. He wanted desperately to tell Marian that it would all be ok and she would be fine along with her spit fire tongued sister but he couldn't. It would be a lie if he did and Bill didn't lie. He may exaggerate the truth but he drew the line at lying. Instead he kept hold of Marian's hand and pulled her down in the seat next to him. He also pretended not to notice when Marian's fingers started to shake in his when the planes engine started up and they started moving. Instead he just squeezed her hand tighter in his.

0000000000000000

Stephanie was wedged into a seat between Captain Nixon and George Luz. She had deliberately been put on a plane away from Joe Toye. Nixon had told her earlier that they wanted both of them to get to Holland in one piece and putting them both on the same aeroplane with a gun in their hands wasn't the best plan for that to happen.

Beside her Nixon from somewhere pulled a flask out and took a large gulp for the container. Without asking Stephanie grabbed the flask from him and took an equally large swallow. Flinching only slightly when the cheap whisky burnt her throat. She handed it silently back to Nix who just raised one eyebrow at her.

"What?" she snapped "can women not drink whisky in this horror?"

Nixon just shrugged "Sure they can, never met one who'd want to though"

"Well congratulations you've found one"

Nixon just smiled softly at the testy woman beside him. She shouldn't be here yet where else would she go. As both the sisters had said they had no where in this time that they could go, no one who would look after them any better than the men of easy would. Men who had gotten very close to the two of them in a short period of time. He could tell Stephanie was scared, she was pale underneath her helmet and her fingers where clenched tightly into fists. Carefully Nixon reached over and took her hand into his pulling her fingers loose and smoothing them out. He then pressed his palm to hers and laced his fingers with her own. Stephanie said nothing but gratefully squeezed his hand.

"You CAN do this Stephanie Harris" he said quietly.

"You think?" she asked softly. So softly that he struggled to hear her over the noise of the planes engine.

"I know it" he answered. The red light on the plane flashed on and the men stood carefully to their feet. Stephanie took a deep breath and allowed Captain Nixon to haul her to her feet. She quickly attached her clip then patted over the Captains equipment. Listening to the sound off. George slapped her arm shouting "Three good"

"Two good" Stephanie shouted back as Nixon stepped up to the opening of the door. The red light changed to green and suddenly Nixon was gone. George pushed her forward slightly as she moved to the opening of the door.

"GO" he shouted from behind her.

Stephanie gulped in some air before stepping out into nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't really have a lot to say to you all for this chapter. Just that i hope you all continue to enjoy reading it! I know i'm continuing to enjoy writing these two sisters who are surprising me in what they want to do.  
>Drop me a line and let me know what you think all comments even criticism is always taken on board.<br>Oh i did have something I'm currently writing this without a beta so if anyone wants to volunteer to lend a hand on that front just let me know. it will be forever appreciated.

00000000000000

Eindhoven, Holland 1944

Stephanie looked up an around in awe as the people of Holland cheered the American soldiers, there were people everywhere. Hanging out of doorways and windows crowding every inch of room on the cobbled streets. Banners of Orange hung from every available surface and decorated the upper arms of most men she had seen. She had forgotten how many times she had been grabbed and kissed on the cheek, men not caring that she was a woman and women just smiling and encouraging her to carry on.

Struggling onwards through the mass of the crowds she tried to find anyone who she recognised. Soon after they had gotten to Eindhoven she had managed to get separated from Captain Nixon and George. She could see American uniforms everywhere but when she got near to them they suddenly vanished once more into the see of Dutch people.

"HEY, HARRIS"

Stephanie spun to face the voice shouting her, she found Bill, Liebgott, Joe, Marian and what looked to be Buck and Perconte leaning against one wall at the side of the street she was stood in the middle of. She struggled back through the mass of people reaching the small group of people. For once actually happy to see Joe. Marian grabbed her and hugged her hard, knocking her back so much that her helmet fell to the ground releasing her long braid down her shoulder. Stephanie laughed and hugged her sister back. "I'm glad your all right to Mari"

Marian pulled back to smile at her younger sister "you have no idea how crazy I was driving them when you didn't show up straight away"

"Ah no crazier that Toye over here Miss Marian" Bill drawled getting a glare out of Toye and a smirk from the others. Stephanie turned to look at Joe. Quickly checking him for injuries. "Your alright?" she asked.

He nodded "You?"

"I'm good" after a few more minutes of just staring at each other Joe finally held his arms open and Stephanie ran into them both of them clinging to the other.

"Now don't they make such a pretty picture the two's of um" Bill cut in.

"Don't they just" JD agreed.

For once both Stephanie and Toye ignored all of them, focused instead on the fact that for now at least both of them were still in one whole piece and unharmed.

"Come on, captain's signalling us to keep moving" Buck said.

Stephanie pulled back and followed Bucks gaze finding both Captain Winters and Nixon raised up slightly and bellowing for the men to keep moving. They must have found a box she reasoned. Unless they'd decided to stand on a helpful Dutch person. Toye firmly grasped her hand and started to pull her along behind him. Marian behind Stephanie was being dragged along by both Bill and Liebgott with Buck and Perconte bringing up the rear.

They hadn't gone far when Stephanie stopped in shock. She could hear screams coming from the midst of a group of cheers. She pulled her hand free of Joe's and pushed through the people making a small square in the street. Her mouth falling open in shock as she saw what was happening.

Women, forced to their knee's with others ripping at their clothes and using scissors, shears, clippers anything sharp that could be found to cut their hair so short as to make them bald. She was about to try and stop it when Joe grabbed her arms and Marian appeared in front of her. "No Steph" she hissed.

"What! Marian look at what there doing to them"

"We can't get involved Steph. Do you want to join them?"

The grip on her arms tightened and she was pulled back from the grisly sight and pulled along once more towards the two Captains.

"What the hell!" She snapped trying and failing to get free of Joe. "Marian we can't just leave them"

"We can and we must" Marian snapped walking along calmly beside her struggling sister. Stephanie was surprised over just how little she was getting free from Joe. The annoying American was stronger than she had given him credit for being.

"What have they done?" she finally asked.

Marian frowned "they slept with the Germans"

Stephanie erupted "WHAT!" she demanded.

"Harris will you please give in" Joe hissed angrily as the Dutch turned to stare curiously at them as they pushed through the throngs of people towards where the other E company men were gathering.

"Is that it though" Stephanie demanded "They probably had no choice"

They reached the other soldiers and Marian grabbed her sisters hands because as soon as Joe had released her she had made to go back to the weeping women. She held her sister back, making Stephanie look at her "I know its not fair alright Steph, but this is war. If you get involved what do you think they'd do to you"

"You mean what they'd try to do" Stephanie growled angrily.

"Fine what they'd try to do, then what the men would do to stop them. Do you really want to give these soldiers anymore enemies"

Stephanie finally shook her head "no" she muttered sullenly.

"I know you don't like it, neither do I but sometimes you have no choice but to do things you don't like"

"listen to your sister Harris" Joe said from above them.

Stephanie stared coldly at the two of them "I think my sisters forgetting the great many things I've done already that I didn't like. Many of them to save her ass" She then turned on her heel and pushing into the soldiers stalked off in the direction of Captain Nixon, he at least might still have some of that whiskey in his flask. Right now she needed it as well as he thought he did.

"Leave her" Marian said as Joe made to go after her. "she needs to calm down and following her would only provoke an argument"

"I'm used to them" Joe said smiling slightly "seems to me to be a good day if she only tries to hit me once"

Marian smiled back at him "she's temperamental I agree"

"What did she mean?" Joe asked carefully looking down at the elder Harris sister.

Marian was frowning as she said. "What do you mean what did she mean?"

"When she said about doing things she didn't want to do. What did she mean?" when Marian didn't answer he gently nudged her upper arm "Marian?" he insisted "what did she mean?"

"Nothing I can tell you" Marian finally said "My sisters tough, she may come across as confident and extroverted but it's the rare person who she actually lets through them doors to see the actual person she is. She does like you Joe and she'll let you in. Just don't hurt her for it"

Joe suddenly grinned and winked down at Marian "I know that Miss Marian. I'd be more worried about her hurting me though. Mean right and even left hook your sisters got"

Marian laughed as Bill and Liebgott rejoined them along with George. "What's happening then?" Joe asked Bill.

"Seem's were to go with some tanks to take Nuenen. We're camping just outta town"

"When?" Marian asked softly.

"Now" Bill replied "were moving out now, attacking Nuenen tomorrow"

Marian's eyes widened in shock, so soon. She had thought they had a few days in Eindhoven. She knew what happened in Nuenen and although the men in front of her would pull through she knew full well that many others wouldn't. Bill slung his arm round Marian's shoulders directing her away from the group of soldiers and towards one of the tanks that was waiting to take the soldiers towards Nuenen.

"Don't think about it Marian" he eventually said.

"Think about what" Marian answered vaguely. Her mind still occupied on trying to remember just who of the company they were going to lose on this suicide mission. Bill stopped and gripped her hard by her upper arms and gave her a firm shake "Marian" he snapped angrily making her look up at him "youse can't do this again. Get's your head out o the clouds and back down here"

"I'm here" Marian said wearily.

"Good" Bill said the anger gone from his voice "cause you see that girly up there" he pointed at Stephanie who had joined Captain Nixon and was lounging on a tank near the front of the line with him. Both of them were laughing and drinking from a flask. It could only contain alcohol and Marian frowned maybe she should have warned Stephanie not to hurt Joe instead of the other way around.

"she's gonna need her sister this time, not a stark raving loony"

Marian nodded once more "I'm here" she repeated.

Bill smiled widely his normal good humour back in place as he climbed up onto a tank hiking Marian up behind him. Liebgott and Toye appeared close behind them along with Bull and Martin they all somehow managed to get on the same tank as well. Martin and Bull had rations and handed them out to the others. Marian sighed as she sniffed hers. Egg, again. Putting the packet down in disgust she shifted on the tank trying to get more comfortable, of course being Marian she slipped on the smooth metal of the tank and with a squeal slid down the slope and ended up on Liebgott's knee. He caught her from falling any further. The men all smirking at her newest act of clumsiness. "you alright Marian?" Joe asked trying to hold back his own laughter.

"I'm fine" Marian muttered as he helped her back into her own place on the tank. Heat burning her cheeks and the stifled laughter of the other men hitting her ears.

0000000000000

Dark found E Company in hastily dug foxholes in Togelre a suburb of Eindhoven. Stephanie had for some reason decided to stay with Captain Nixon. Mainly her slightly addled mind reasoned because of the fact that he was a constant source of alcohol and laughter. "You know Captain" she announced suddenly making Nix stare at her curiously "it occurs to me that you are by far the most intelligent man in this battalion. After all who but a genius would think to carry VAT 69 around with them in a flask."

"Your only just realising that fact now Harris" his forehead wrinkled in sudden thought "or is that Private Toye by now"

Stephanie snorted in annoyance "don't mention him at the minute, I was almost in a good mood"

"In this dump?" Nix questioned.

Stephanie shrugged "why not?" she answered gesturing around the line with the flask Nix handed over for her turn. "Its not overly cold, I have free alcohol, good company and no ones shouting or shooting at me yet. I'd say it's a vast improvement over recent circumstances"

"You know Harris" Nix stated "it occurs to me that you are by far the most intelligent female in this battalion"

"Seen as there's only two and the other has spent half her time here with her head in the clouds that wasn't a very good compliment Lew"

"Fine, ok then it occurs to me that you'd be a very cheap date if that's your list for a good evening"

Stephanie snorted "and that's meant to be better? Geezus Nix how did you ever manage to get married with lines like that one?"

"I showed her the figure in my bank account"

Stephanie would have laughed if Nixon's voice hadn't been deadly serious. Instead she handed the flask back over to him to drink from saying "the night of my 19th birthday I walked into my flat to find my boyfriend butt naked rolling around on my bed with another woman"

Nixon swallowed his gulp of alcohol and passed the flask back over to the young woman. "my wife thinks I don't know about the constant stream of 'gardeners' she entertains in her private parlour" The flask was passed back to Nixon.

"After wrapping a sheet round his waist Thomas my ex boyfriend told me he didn't understand why a tramp like me wouldn't mind sharing her boyfriend around" the whiskey wasn't even burning anymore.

"Nothing I've ever done has been good enough for my parents. I sometimes wonder if they'll even notice if I don't come home from this place"

"Even though I was younger I stood in front of my sister every night when my dad came home from the pub drunk and angry"

Nixon almost looked shocked at that one and Stephanie just shrugged motioning for him to continue. "the only person in the world I trust is Dick Winters. He's the only one who's ever been there for me no matter what"

Stephanie smiled slightly "the only people in the world I trusted was my grandpa who at the minute is only 19 years old himself, and my sister and she's… well I'm just waiting for the time bomb in her brain to go off again and her sense to flee once more" she tried to swallow her mouthful but soon realised they had emptied the flask. Sighing she pushed it back into the pocket on Nixon's jacket.

"god we're pathetic" he moaned slumping back against the side of the foxhole they had dug.

"not entirely" Stephanie argued "after all we can jump out of planes and shoot guns" she paused before saying "I can knit"

Nixon grunted in mirth shaking his head at the young woman sat next to him. "What do you do Harris?" he asked "when your not travelling through time that is?"

Stephanie smiled "I study, I'm a student at university… um your word would be college" she added seeing his blank face "I study biochemistry"

"So we can definitely add smart to your list"

She shrugged "you're an intelligence officer isn't smart part of your job description"

"I can't remember seeing it" Nixon answered. "I think suicidal was mentioned a few times though"

Stephanie smirked "now that is pathetic Lew"

Nixon groaned once more "isn't it just" he complained slumping lower in the foxhole "hell Harris what are you even doing here bugging me. Shouldn't you be annoying Toye"

"I fancied a change of scene" she replied innocently.

"Your fooling no one Harris. Intelligence officer remember"

Stephanie glared at him "fine I'm angry at all of them. Toye, Marian all of them"

"Why?"

"They wouldn't let me help those women in Eindhoven"

"The one's who'd slept with the Nazi's?" Nixon asked, Stephanie nodded making Nixon frowned "did they need your help?"

Stephanie's eyes narrowed dangerously "I'm going to forgot you said that Lewis Nixon seen as we're having such a lovely evening. I'd hate to have to hurt you"

"point taken" Nixon said removing a pack of lucky strikes from the other pocket of his jacket he stuck one in his mouth before offering them to Stephanie who hesitated before finally grabbing one and accepting his light. "Who needs to worry about lung cancer when I could get shot tomorrow" she muttered sullenly to herself.

"What?" Nix asked looking at her curiously.

"Nothing" she said. They sat in silence until their smokes were finished before Nixon announced he would take the first watch if she wanted to get some sleep. Stephanie nodded gratefully excepting his offer and turning up the collar of her jacket she slumped down in the foxhole trying to get comfy. With the whiskey burning a trail through her system it didn't take long for her eyes to slip closed and stay that way.

00000000000

E Company was starting to stir, Marian knew it couldn't be long now before the orders came through to move out. To set out to try and take Nuenen. She also knew they'd fail. They'd be retreating back through the Dutch countryside by the time night fell once more. Her stomach was cramped in fright of what was coming. After all the bullets were very real and just because her and Stephanie shouldn't be there didn't mean they still couldn't get shot, or blown up or even wounded.

Liebgott slid into the foxhole next to her. "Your with me again Marian"

"Ok" she whispered taking hold of her M1 and trying to at least look like she knew what she was doing. Joe just smiled softly at her and rapped his knuckles against her helmet "don't worry miss, I won't let nothing happen to you"

"Thanks Joe. That's sweet"

He shrugged "Captain Winter's would have my nuts if I let you get hurt"

"not so sweet" Marian answered getting to her feet and looking around the hastily arranged American line. Stephanie was stood to one side already out of her foxhole with her M1 slung over her shoulder, camouflage paint decorating the pale skin over her cheekbones, her helmet pulled low over her face to shade her eyes from the early morning Dutch sun. A smoke was between her lips and she was nodding to something Toye was saying to her. She almost looked like she belonged here, unlike Marian.

"I just need to talk to my sister Joe"

"hurry" was all the answer she got.

Marian rushed across the grass she get to Steph, Toye was leaving after having leant down and kissed her sister hard, Stephanie seemed know to be searching for someone else. Marian grabbed her arm and Steph smiled at her slightly "ready?" she asked.

"Not really" Marian answered "you?"

Stephanie shrugged "as I'll ever be I suppose. You know how this is going to go down right?" Marian nodded "well then stay back and stay safe Marian"

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. Remember?"

"I remember" Marian answered sadly "just promise me you'll be careful. I'm not losing you"

Stephanie smiled and pulled Marian forward to hug her hard. "I'll be fine Marian. Take care of yourself"

Stephanie let go off her and quickly vanished leaving Marian stood staring at the space where her sister had been. She never had been very good at saying goodbye to anyone. "Marian come on!"

Marian turned to face Joe who was beckoning for her to get a move on, she sighed and took a tighter grip on her rifle running over to the tank Joe was perched on holding his arm down for her. She grabbed his hand and he quickly pulled her up into position. Beside her Bull, Webster, Cobb and Hoobler were examining their newest packets of rations. Marian had no doubt that they would once again be egg flavoured slop.

"She'll be fine Marian" Joe said quietly from beside her.

Marian tried and failed to smile settling for a grimace "I know she will"

"She's strong your sister"

Marian nodded "She always was the tough one. She'll be ok I know that. It'll take a lot more than the German's to stop my sister"

Joe snorted and took a smoke from the pack in his pocket offering them to Marian who shook her head. "I don't smoke Joe, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

"You never know by the time wars over I might have got you to change your mind"

"I doubt it" Marian said falling silent as the tanks engines started up and they began moving towards Nuenen.

This was it then Marian thought. No going back now. "Joe?"

"Yeah"

"are you really only looking after me because Captain Winters asked you to?" Marian asked looking down at Joe. He didn't answer for a few seconds before finally shaking his head "Winters didn't ask me to look after you Marian"

Marian smiled at him and Joe just turned to look back at the countryside of Holland.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi i know this has taken forever to update and i hope your all still willing to give it a read.  
>I'm struggling a bit with trying to find information for the next few weeks about easy and the rest of market garden. I know factually what happens but writing my characters in is proving... a challenge. Hopefully it works alright.<p>

Nuenen 

Shit, shit, SHIT. It was all that kept running through Stephanie's mind as she threw herself behind the nearest wall she could find. There was blood coming from a wound on her upper left arm, she didn't think it was deep just grazed but bloody hell it hurt like a son of a bitch. The two sisters had known Nuenen was going to be bad. The allied forces had seriously underestimated the strength of the German forces in Holland. But nothing could have prepared her for this. It made what she'd experienced in France look like fun. Bullets were firing everywhere from more than just M1's, machine guns were set up in windows of god knows how many buildings. Mortars were flying into the American's troops making her ears ring. She'd been to close to one when it dropped and the debris from the blast had been what sliced through her arm. Tank shells from the panzer's were singing loudly through the air. They'd surprised the armoured division that the British had brought meaning the Americans were without armoury anymore as well.

Men's screams of pain and shock echoed in her ears through the ringing as she somehow managed to pull herself to her knees and keeping her head as low as possible, she crawled the length of the wall she had managed to hide behind.

She'd lost the rest of her group. The men who'd been assigned to stay with her all from 2nd Platoon Bill's squad. They'd been split by the blast of a mortar. The same one that'd wounded her. She'd had to go the other way there'd been no choice and now on top of everything else she was lost in the maze of small alleys that made up Nuenen.

Coughing from the dust of exploding walls she clutched tighter to her M1 trying to ignore the pain in her arm as she attempted to carefully look around the corner of the next wall. Before she could react an M1 barrel was looking her in the face Bill's face behind it. "BILL it's me, Steph. BILL"

In some kind of miracle Bill didn't shoot he got the gun down and grabbing the shoulder material of Steph's jacket he yanked her round the corner. "Toye, I've gots her. Eh JOE"

Stephanie watched in relief as Joe spun round from the corner he'd been guarding and lunged towards her pulling her to the floor so he could get hold of her "thank fucking god" he muttered.

"Amen to that" Stephanie agreed hugging him back, he let go of her and motioned to Bill for them to move back once more.

"Were moving back. Order came through a few minutes ago, we were looking for you" Toye shouted as the three of them skidded through the walled gardens of Nuenen doing their best to avoid the machine gun fire of the Germans behind them.

"My sister?" Steph shouted "Have you seen her?"

Bill shook his head "We ain't. Liebgott and Perconte had her though and they was together" they rounded the corner of the last house and found the slight hill where their own transports were waiting at the top. However they had to run through open fire to reach them.

"Shit Buck, look out" Steph shouted it wasn't loud enough though as Buck went down.

"MEDIC" Joe screamed somehow getting Doc Roe's attention and he flew towards Buck.

"we've got to move him" Steph insisted as they managed to drag Buck into the relative shelter of a ditch near the bottom of the hill.

"I'm to big" Buck hissed "probably weigh more than all of ye together. Go leave me for the Germans to take care of"

"Not happening Buck" Bill shouted and him and Joe ran off and reappeared soon after with what looked to be a barn door. Stephanie would have laughed from the sheer improbability but somehow it worked they got Buck on the make shift stretcher and along with Malarkey pulled Buck back up to the transports and got him on the trucks floor before the guys jumped up behind him with Joe reaching down and pulling Stephanie up as well.

From in front of them on the next truck someone shouted loudly and turning and standing up Stephanie smiled. Marian was waving madly trying to get her attention. She smiled at her sister who grinned broadly, apparently it looked very much like Marian was high on adrenaline.

She then slumped back in her seat next to Joe, letting her head drop down to his shoulder. She was exhausted. Joe's arm came round her shoulders and of course his hand landed on the graze on her arm making her flinch.

"Harris?" he questioned quickly "what is it?"

"arm" Stephanie hissed as Joe twisted her around to look at the blood covered cut in her jacket. Cursing he pushed her jacket off and pulled her arm forward. Stephanie winced as he gently prodded it. "Doc" Joe said as Eugene looked up from where he had finished bandaging up Buck. "Doc her arm"

Eugene got up and pushed himself in on the end of the bench next to Steph his quick fingers deftly checking the wound "It's just grazed" Eugene said quickly, he grabbed a clean bandage from his pack and with the water from his canteen washed out the cut and wrapped the bandage round Steph's arm tightly. "try and keep it dry and change that tomorrow"

"Thanks doc" Steph said softly, smiling at him. Eugene nodded and returned his attention to Buck.

"You alright?" Joe asked quietly so only she could hear him.

"I'm fine. Just exhausted"

The trucks groaned and rumbled and looking over Stephanie could see the last men climbing aboard the final truck, bullets still flying across the ditch towards them, even though they were now out of range. The trucks groaned once more before moving off, heading back to Eindhoven. "Relax, we'll be alright for now" Joe murmured. Pulling her head back down to his shoulder and letting her sit there trying to calm down from whatever adrenaline high she'd been on herself. She could see the faces of the men on the truck with her. All of them were covered in dirt and sweat. A lot more of them then she would have liked were also streaked with blood. Whether it be their own or that of their friends.

It was silent on the ride back, each man contained within his own thoughts. None of them quite believing what had just happened.

* * *

><p>Marian was doing her best to hold it all together. She had managed to stay down and pretty much out of trouble around Nuenen. Done exactly what Joe had said, when it had gotten really bad with bullets flying over her head from every direction. She'd managed to keep relatively calm and stay where Joe had put her.<p>

The only moment that was stuck in her head on replay. Constant repeat, freeze frame slow motion was probably in reality only 10-15 seconds long. She'd been crouched low in a corner of one garden waiting for Luz, Liebgott and Perconte to come back her way. Before they could though a German had come round the corner. He'd stood shocked into inaction but the sight of a women in an American uniform holding a gun. If it hadn't been for that shock she'd have been dead. Instead she'd pulled the trigger on her own M1. Watched as his body jerked and then fell limply to the floor. That's what Luz, Liebgott and Perconte had found when the order to retreat had come through and they'd gone to find her. Marian still sat clutching her rifle staring at the fallen German.

Joe had grabbed her and dragged her faster than ever back towards the trucks. It was only when she got there that her brain caught up with her and she realised that she had no idea where Stephanie was. "Joe my sister! I have to go back"

"Marian you can't be serious. You can't go back" Joe grabbed her as she went to fly over the edge of the truck once more.

"She's my sister Joe" Marian screamed pulling at Joe's hold on her. He didn't let go though. "Damn it Joe I mean it, let go of me!"

"WAIT. Marian, look. Marian that's a girl"

Joe was pointing at a slim smaller figure running up the dike onto the road with 3 men and what looked to be a board between them. She sagged in Joe's arms as she got a look at the persons face. It was Stephanie and she didn't look to be wounded. "She's alright" she whispered "thank god she's alright"

After finally managing to catch her sisters attention Marian slumped down onto the bench beside Joe and Perconte. Her hands were shaking badly and her head felt kind of fuzzy. But hell she was alive and that was really amazing in itself.

* * *

><p>"You really weren't joking when you said it would be bad were you?"<p>

Steph looked up at Joe. She was huddled in a foxhole with him next to her, an arm round her shoulders and he head resting on his chest. "I wasn't. We weren't"

"It gonna get worse"

She didn't answer straight away. Her eye's flicking away from his own as her tried desperately to think of a good enough answer. Eventually she decided on the truth. "I..I.. Joe I can't remember and god damn it I don't know if I want to remember"

It was the truth she really couldn't remember. Ever since she'd got on that truck driving them away from Nuenen she'd been trying desperately to remember anything that she'd seen or read about E company or Band of Brothers. Try as she might though Stephanie could get past the point where they'd failed at Nuenen, the only other thing she could recall was that the unit eventually found and liberated a concentration camp.

"This is not your fault" Joe snapped grabbing her chin and pulling her face back to face his own. "Its isn't" he insisted.

"It feels like it" Stephanie whispered.

"It isn't" Joe repeated once more.

"Bull's missing, how many more men are dead or injured. What if I could have stopped it. If we had told you what was going to happen could I have stopped this"

"Maybe" Joe said "but you also could have made it worse. You ever think about that?"

"I can't stop thinking about it Joe. I mean what if the guys think…"

"They don't" Joe interrupted "no one blames you or Marian for anything. And they never will"

"But.."

"No buts, you stubborn woman. Just listen to me for once heh Harris"

Eventually Stephanie nodded. Settling back down with head on Joe's chest. Just sitting listening to the quiet interspersed with the muttering and grunts of the American accented voices of the men.

"Harris?"

"Umm?"

"What'd you do back where from you come from?"

Stephanie laughed quietly "You know Nix asked me that same thing just last night"

Joe grunted "this would be in your little drinking session"

"Hey I was pissed at you"

"What?" Joe asked confused "Harris if your going to insult me at least do it so I can understand you would you"

"It just means angry Joe"

Joe grunted once more "Nothing to be surprised about there. Your always angry at me"

Stephanie nudged him slightly with her elbow "I went to school, College to be precise. Studying Biochemistry"

Joe went silent again for a few minutes before finally "Alright I give in what's Biochemistry?"

Stephanie snorted in mirth "You know what, I wish I knew"

"Why'd you study something you don't understand?" Joe asked obviously confused.

"I suppose I do understand some of it. But I study it because science is the only thing I was ever really any good at"

"Somehow I don't believe that"

Stephanie smiled up at him "that was almost sweet Joe. Thanks" He didn't look overly comfortable with that comment so she just continued "and I don't think they teach courses on drinking, fighting or anything else I was remotely interested in"

Joe was silent after that and Steph didn't feel much like talking anymore. So they sat once again quiet. Eventually Steph heard and felt Joe's breath even out and knew he'd fallen asleep.

Steph wasn't falling asleep so getting up she carefully climbed out of the foxhole and walked off towards where she knew Nixon would be asleep. On the way she passed Marian who was passed out in a foxhole with Liebgott on one side of her and Doc Roe on the other who was the only one awake and nodded at Steph as she passed by.

It didn't take her much searching to find Nixon. He luckily was still awake. He was sat on the edge of his foxhole with Captain Winters beside him. The two men were talking with heads close together, it was Nixon who spotted her coming first. They stopped talked as she approached. Nix moving over so she could sit down beside him.

"Doc said you caught a piece of shrapnel. You alright Harris?"

Steph nodded "I'm fine Nix. I wanted to talk to you. Both of you actually"

Nixon and Winters both nodded "What is it Miss Harris?" Winters asked.

"I wanted to know… to know what you were going to… say to Marian. About today"

"You look defensive Steph" Nixon said "What'd you think we're planning on doing?"

Stephanie paused looking at both of their faces. Winters as always wore very little expression, he always seemed to just seem calm and collected. Nixon was smirking slightly to himself which kind of made Stephanie just want to smack him. "We didn't tell you" she tried to explain "We could have stopped some of this, these men dying didn't have to happen if we'd told you"

"No Miss Harris you couldn't" Winters said "nothing you nor your sister could have said would have managed to stop this attack"

"So you don't blame us?"

Nixon shook his head "No. We don't blame you" he gently squeezed her shoulder "a heads up next time would be appreciated next time though"

Stephanie just glared at Nixon as Winters got up to go and talk to Lipton.

"You sure your alright Harris?"

Stephanie gave up glaring at him seen as it obviously wasn't affecting him. Instead she glanced down at her arm although in the rapidly approaching dark she could really see a lot. "I'm fine. It was just a scratch"

Nixon nodded "Marian's alright as well?"

Stephanie nodded "she's alright, held up better this time if that's what your trying to get at"

"I'm glad"

Stephanie nodded, looking over at Nix she then frowned. Leaning forward she gently prodded Nix's helmet. "Nix are you alright, you get hit?"

Nix shook his head "Just pinged it. Didn't even scratch me"

"Good"

Sudden engine noises made both of them stop talking and look up to the sky. Nixon got up and dragged Stephanie along with him until they reached Captain Winters once more. The bang of exploding shells hitting Eindhoven lit up the sky with orange and red flames.

Stephanie stood flanked by Nixon and Winters watching, guilt and horror curling around her stomach. All of those people who had only the other day been cheering and congratulating the Americans were now screaming and praying for their lives and their homes to be saved.

"I guess they won't be waving so many flags at us tomorrow" Nix said, and to that there was no answer.


	10. Chapter 10

Bit of a longer chapter this time! Still trying to figure out Market Garden but hopefully i've got some of it down.  
>As always if you have any comments just drop me a line i love to hear from anyone.<p>

ooooooooooooo

Marian was sat on an edge of waist high broken wall the music box in her hands when Stephanie found her late the next afternoon. They had been ordered back to Eindhoven and had set up tight defences around the city. Bull had been found in Nuenen early on in the morning and been gratefully put back with his platoon, and now they were waiting.

Stephanie smiled "you get anything out of it?"

Marian frowned and shook her head "nothing, it's dead. The woman isn't even spinning anymore"

"Want me to try?"

"Go for it" Marian obliged throwing the box over to her sister and watching as she opened the box, it was as dead in Stephanie's hands as it had been in Marian's.

"Stupid ass thing" Steph muttered grabbing Marian's bag from beneath her feet and stuffing the box back in among the other random contents. She then turned and leant on the wall next to her sister. "So how long we gonna be here?"

Marian looked down at Stephanie. "E Company moved out of Eindhoven to take the cities on the north and west on the 11th September. So 2 days"

"2 days" Stephanie repeated nodding. "Marian I need you to do something for me"

"Anything"

Stephanie turned and looked up at her sister "I can't remember anything else, not even the bloody TV show. I want you to promise not to tell me. I can't handle it"

Marian nodded slowly "I promise"

"You know for September its hot over here" Stephanie muttered, Marian let the quick change of subject go with no comment and nodded to agree with her sister. Stephanie meanwhile had gone one step further and was stripping off. Her jacket went flying across the wall along with her shirt leaving her upper half in just her helmet and tank top.

"Stephie darling I don't think that's regulation uniform"

"Surprisingly enough I don't care at this minute in time" Stephanie said looking around the abandoned area of Eindhoven they were in. They seemed to be totally alone for once. "Where's our body guards gone?" she asked.

Marian looked round as well noting the same as her sister that they really did seem to be alone. She shrugged "I don't know. Lieb was around here somewhere then he wasn't and I didn't feel up to moving"

"You know what I miss?" Stephanie asked suddenly "I mean apart from baths and showers, proper food and not getting shot at"

Marian laughed and shook her head "No but go on lets hear it"

"Music"

Marian looked down shocked at her sister. That wasn't what she had been expecting. Stephanie was staring off into space once more though until suddenly she jumped away from the wall throwing her helmet onto the floor as well and flicking her long braid over her shoulder she smirked at Marian on the wall and Marian got a very bad feeling.

"What are you doing?" Marian asked as Steph pushed a few stones clear to make a small space that was actually flat and clean.

"Come on Mari, I'll even pick one your bound to know"

"What?" Marian asked, confused.

"Alright lets see" Stephanie seemed to stop and think for a minute before smiling and to Marian shock she started singing. Not just anything but that newest horrible song by Sean Paul.

"Its all good girl turn me on, till a early morn', Let's get it on, Let's get it on 'til a early morning, Girl it's all good just turn me on"

Marian groaned in horror as Steph swung her hips around in time to her singing, she was grinning when she looked at Marian "oh come on Mari, lighten up a bit. Were all right for now and have a few days till we move out. Let go!"

Marian groaned once more "fine but pick another song for gods sake"

"which one?"

"I don't know, just not that one" Marian insisted.

Stephanie grinned and started singing again "Do you really like it, is it is it wicked. Were loving loving loving it, were loving it like that"

Marian groaned louder this time, laughing as well "Jesus you have no taste sis"

"Really, come on then enlighten me" Stephanie challenged smiling at her sister.

Marian jumped down from the wall she was sat on, "fine" she said thinking for a moment before smiling, it was perfect. For Stephanie as well.

"Danger, danger high voltage" Marian started.

Stephanie shrieked with laughter and grabbing her sisters hand started to writhe and shake her hips around to their imaginary music. Both sisters singing now.

"Don't you want to know how we keep starting fires?

It's my desire, It's my desire, It's my desire

Don't you want to know how we keep starting fires?

It's my desire, It's my desire, It's my desire

Danger! Danger! High Voltage!

When we touch, When we kiss

Danger! Danger! High Voltage!

When we touch, when we kiss

When we touch

Danger! Danger! High Voltage!

When we touch, When we kiss

Danger! Danger! High Voltage!

When we touch, when we kiss

When we touch, when we kiss"

They were both laughing and holding onto each others shoulders to stand up when they'd finished. Stephanie turned to grab her helmet up once more and when she turned she saw Bill and Liebgott stood on the other side of the wall staring at the two of them like they'd grown an extra head.

"Hey boys" Stephanie said pleasantly. Marian jumped round and turned fiery red when she saw the two of them.

"What the hell" Liebgott asked "was that?"

"That my dear JD was a taste of the dancing, and music you've got to look forward to"

"Holy hell" Bill muttered to himself.

Stephanie just grinned turning to blow a kiss at her sister she waved at them all grabbing her shirt and jacket before leaping the wall and grabbing Bill's arm "need to talk to you Guarnere" she said before dragging him off as well back into Eindhoven. Leaving a very embarrassed Marian to stare silently at Joe.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stephanie eyed the bucket in front of her with mild disgust. Seems even though the British and American troops had liberated the Dutch it didn't mean that they could stretch to providing a little hot water. No, instead it was still the frigid icy stuff from a well just down the street.

Sighing Stephanie quickly stripped off and thrusting a bit of clean cloth she'd found into the bucket she rubbed herself down thoroughly removing the mud and blood she'd acquired since jumping into Holland. She then took a deep breath and dunked her head into the water. She came up spluttering. Rapidly twisting her wet hair back into a braid she pulled her clothes back on. Trying to not to think about the fact that she was putting dirty clothes back onto her know relatively clean body.

She then yanked open the door to the empty building she'd found smiling at Bill who was as she'd asked sat on the ground back against the wall guarding the door against any troopers who thought they might get a good peep show. "Thanks bill"

"Not a problem sweetheart" he said grinning as he got back to his feet. "Always willing to help a damsel in need is old gonorrhoea"

Steph just laughed "I'll remember that one" she followed him as they moved back towards the main line on the outskirts of Eindhoven where the majority of E Company had gotten themselves dug in. "You know where Toye went?"

Bill nodded and pointed over to the left "He's should be on watch with Babe"

"Thanks Bill"

Bill just smiled once more and wandered off to go and talk to Lipton. Stephanie moved down the line of men around the outskirts of the town until she found Joe and Babe. Dug in they were from what she could hear arguing over the differences of Lucky strikes over Camels. Smiling Stephanie crouched down behind their heads and cleared her throat loudly. Both men jumped turning round to glare at her when they realised who it was disturbing them.

"Harris. What can we do for you?"

Stephanie smiled at them both "Now is that any way to talk to a lady Toye"

Toye snorted and turned back to the countryside in front of him. Babe looked between the two of them before holding up his hands in surrender and climbing out of the dugout. "I'll just leave youse two alone, shall I"

No one answered him so Babe walked away leaving Stephanie enough room to slip into the dugout beside Toye.

"So were back to taking shots at each other again huh?" Toye asked looking over at Stephanie.

"Well yeah" she said reasonably "its just so much fun to wind you up Toye"

"rather more dangerous for more ribs as well" he grumbled.

Stephanie couldn't help laughing at that one, which she got the feeling he didn't appreciate. "Aw poor Joe. If I promise not to hurt you can we still be friends"

Joe didn't bother even glaring at her this time. Just stayed silent next to her.

"Come on Joe it's no fun if you don't bite back"

Joe's brows scrunched together "Bite?" he asked "you didn't bite me so why should I bite you?"

Stephanie was laughing again "I just meant answer me. Please!"

"I don't want to fight with you anymore Harris" Toye answered wearily "it makes my head hurt"

Stephanie glanced back to see Ramirez and George coming towards them. "Well seen as Babe left and George and Ramirez are appearing I presume your watch is over. Yes?"

Joe glance back to check George and Ramirez were there before nodding. "Yeah its over"

"Do you want to go and find some food?" Joe looked over at her curiously "I promise no fighting, arguing or shouting. Just eating"

"Alright" Joe agreed. Both of them smiled and quickly said hello to George and Ramirez before moving off into the city. Almost tentatively Joe reached out his hand and took Stephanie's. "It occurs to me that I haven't gotten to kiss you since before we jumped"

Stephanie looked up at him "it occurs to me to"

Finally Toye smiled as he backed her up against the nearest wall. Staring down into her eyes Stephanie's heart rate sped up at the heat she saw there before he leant down and pressed his mouth against her own. She opened her mouth to him wrapping her arms around his neck as Joe controlled their kiss.

Stephanie smiled up at him when they broke apart her eyes sparkling. "So can we eat now?"

Joe laughed taking her hand once more he nodded "now we eat"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Marian walked slowly towards the aid station. She knew that Captain Winters idea was a good idea. She wasn't like her sister she couldn't handle the weapon that had been put in her hands the last few times they had come into contact with the German's. She could still be useful though. She had a bit of first aid training and even some experience as a nursing volunteer. Which was why she was now finally standing in front of the temporary aid station.

She walked in trying to ignore the smell and the moaning. Instead locating Doc Roe at the back of the building "hey Doc. Captain Winters has assigned me to you. Think he wants me to try out nursing"

Eugene turned surprised to look at Marian. She watched the shock fade and finally acceptance flood his face. "You got any training Miss Harris?"

"Marian please call me Marian" Eugene nodded "And yes, a little bit. My entire class took First Aid and I have a bit of nursing experience from when I was at university"

Eugene nodded once more motioning for her to come with him towards a door at the other end of the room. Marian followed him silently. Smiling at the men who noticed her and stopping once to squeeze the hand and whisper a few words of comfort to one man who had managed to grab the leg of her OD's.

"You'll be needing on of these" Doc said handing her a white armband with the distinctive red cross on the side. Marian quickly pushing it up her arm securing it in place. She then took the canvas bag which Doc Roe was handing her. She looked in it frowning, slightly confused she said "Doc? It's empty"

Eugene smiled at her "I know that Marian. That's why we're going in here"

Marian grinned sheepishly and followed Eugene further into the room. She took the things he was handing her pushing them into the bag. She was given packets of sulphur, bandages, morphine syrettes, iodine wipes, opium tablets, a book of EMT's and a single pair of scissors. "guard those scissors with your life" Doc warned. "they won't be another spare pair"

"Got it" Marian said securely pushing the scissors into the bag.

"Well then welcome to the life of a medic Miss H… Marian"

"Thanks Doc"

Roe smiled and motioned around the outside of the aid station were the wounded men were laying or sitting depending on how badly hurt they were. "Care to get started?"

Marian nodded "where?"

"Pick a side. Bandages need changing and wounds cleaning. Waters over there and help yourself to supplies" Roe paused and then said gently "try and be sparing with the supplies. Treat them as best as possible but just take into account the supplies we have aren't endless, and they have to last"

"I understand Doc" Marian said squeezing his shoulder briefly before turning to walk for the nearest bed.

"Hey Marian" Doc Roe shouted once more.

She turned to look at him "yeah?'

"Eugene, call me Eugene"

Marian smiled and nodded. "Sure thing" she then turned once more heading once again for the first bed and her first patient.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Night was definitely worse. Sat in the darkness nothing covering your head but your helmet staring up at the stars. Just waiting for them to be blacked out, darkened by the body of a plane along with the sudden whistling and screaming of a dropped shell.

Marian had somehow found herself on watch and in a foxhole with Bill. The hold itself wasn't particularly deep or more importantly wide. Which was most likely why Marian had been picked to share with him, another one of the guys wouldn't have fit. Even with Marian her entire left side was pressed fully against Bill's right. Her sister would have fit better being shorter and smaller than even Marian but she'd just laughingly shook her head when Marian asked grabbing onto Toye and saying she'd already found herself a bunk partner. Which only left Marian. Not that she minded sharing with Bill he was an amusing person to pass the time with.

"So youse is a medic now?"

Marian nodded her head, realised he couldn't see her in the dark so answered instead "Since this evening yeah"

"Youse know anything about medicine Marian?"

"Enough to stop you bleeding to death Bill"

Bill snorted in the dark "good enough for me" he declared "it would's be better to have your hands all ower me than Doc Roes"

Marian turned to look at the dark silhouette that was Bill's face "is that right?' she asked him sarcastically. Somehow even in the dark she managed to see Bill's face crack into his famed grin. "Well yeah. Much as I like the guy he ain't exactly in the same league as youse when it comes to looks"

Marian managed to smile slightly "I think that's a compliment"

"Course it was doll"

"Do you really get away with calling women that?" Marian asked, genuinely curious.

"What Doll?"

"Yeah"

Bill seemed confused when he answered "why's wouldn't I?"

"It'd be called sexist where I'm from"

"Sexist?" Bill asked "What the hells that mean?"

Marian laughed and shuffled slightly lower in her hole trying to relieve the ache already starting to settle into the base of her back "it means derogatory to women"

"Sorry love but that's don't make it none the clearer"

Marian paused not sure exactly how to explain the term sexist to a 1940's American GI. After all women were still not expected to wear trousers in this time. Never mind trying to explain that some women in her time would find being compare to a doll, something breakable and delicate unfair to their feminist ideals. Eventually she settled on "some women in my time would be offended by being compared to a doll"

"Why?" Bill asked.

"Well… because dolls break and they'd think you were trying to tell them they were weaker than a man. After all you wouldn't call a man doll would you?"

"Women are weaker" Bill said. His tone of voice made it perfectly clear that he thought what she was trying to explain was quite simply insane.

"I know that" Marian said trying to be patient "but I suppose some women don't like it being pointed out"

"What that they's is weaker?"

"exactly" Marian said. Pleased that she'd gotten him to understand at least.

That thought soon fled when Bill then said "well that's just dumb. I mean I's can't cook and women can. Don't mean I would's get offended if a women said that to me"

"I think your missing the point Bill"

"youse is probably right there" Bill agreed. A rustle of clothing was heard as he dug in his pocket to pull out a pack of smokes. Taking one out he offered the packet to Marian who shook her head. "I don't smoke. As I keep telling all of you over and over again"

"Just trying to be polite" Bill said, then grinning added on "wouldn't want youse to think I was being sexist not offering them to ya cause yer a woman"

Marian couldn't help it she burst out laughing. Loud. Someone in the foxhole next to the two of them hissed over to shut up, they were under sound discipline and Marian rammed her hand over her mouth trying desperately to stop giggling.

When she finally had she beamed at Bill "promise me something Bill?"

"what's that doll"

"Don't ever change" she saw Bill's head turn once more to face her "don't ever stop being Bill Guarnere. Old gonorrhoea"

"Ain't much chance of that happening"

"Promise me" Marian insisted. "Whatever happens"

Bill nodded "alright's I promise"

Marian couldn't help it, as much as she could she managed to throw her arms round Bill's neck and hug him hard. She knew she'd shocked him but he managed to wrap one of his arms round her shoulders and pat her back softly. Marian carefully untangled herself from him and went back to leaning back against the mud wall of earth behind her. Bill wisely let the whole conversation drop and they both continued to stare out into the dark. Waiting for something to move and hoping that it wouldn't.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alright to explain the song choices which i know aren't current we have to remember Steph and Marian are from 2003 England, and unfortunately that was what was in our charts in 2003.

Songs are  
>Sean Paul: Get Busy<br>DJ Pied Piper: Do you really like it?  
>Electric Six: High Voltage<p> 


End file.
